The Captain
by Firebolt909
Summary: UPDATED JAN. 1, 2006! Chapter 18: Venus and Mars Ginny Weasley's adventures as the new Gryffindor Quidditch captain. Join her and Harry as they face new characters, bouncing quarters, The Beaters, bath towels, and exciting Quidditch Matches.
1. Rise To Power

A/N: Eh, you guys twisted my arm ; ) I'm in a very good mood since I am now DONE WITH SCHOOL A/N: Eh, you guys twisted my arm ; ) I'm in a very good mood since I am now DONE WITH SCHOOL!!! Well, at least until next fall. So therefore, I'm going to try my hand at writing a sequel. Like the first one, I have nothing particular in mind so I'm just going to go with the flow and see where Ginny and the gang go with this. The "voices" will be returning, of course, just in later chapters, if I decide to continue this that is. Anyway, here goes nothing.... 

Oh, and for everyone who has asked about the next chapter of "La Belle et La Bete," it will be out sometime next week.   


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Hey Harry! You awake?" Ron whispered loudly over at the makeshift bed his best friend Harry Potter was sleeping on. Harry, who wasn't really asleep, rolled over and tried to make out Ron's face in the darkness. 

"What?" Harry whispered back. "What is it?" 

"Well," Ron began, "I've been thinking about the Quidditch team for next year." Harry rolled his eyes. When did Ron not think of Quidditch? Of course, Harry wasn't in the position to be casting stones, he loved the game himself. 

"What about it?" 

"We need a captain. And since it's only me, you and Ginny, it's going to have to be one of us. Now my original idea was to have me and you be co-captains like Fred and George were, but it's our last year." 

Harry thought over these words. It was funny how alike he and Ron thought since he had had the very same idea. "So what is it?" 

"I think it should be Ginny." Ron stated firmly. Ginny Weasley was not only the best Chaser the Gryffindor team had seen in a long time, she was also Ron's sister and Harry's girlfriend. 

"What?!?" 

"I'm serious," said Ron. "I think Ginny should do it. She's got another year left after this one, and well, hell....she's bosses us around enough as it is. Might as well let her do it for real." 

Harry grinned into the darkness. It was true, as much as he loved Ginny, she was an entirely different person when it came to the sport. The moment Ginny sets foot on the Quidditch pitch she becomes a force to be reckoned with. Even her older brothers, who were both the co-captains, ended up being bossed around by her half the time. 

"So what do you think?" asked Ron who was waiting for Harry to make some sort of reply. 

"I think that its going to be an exciting year," Harry laughed. "When should we tell her?" 

************************* 

Ginny Weasley looked from one smiling face to the other. Those two were up to somthing. Both Harry and Ron had just plopped down a large package in her lap and grinned eagerly at her. Harry's bright green eyes were practically glowing and Ron looked like he'd just been made King of the Universe. Even Hermione Granger, Ron's girlfriend, looked extremely pleased about something. 

"You do know that Christmas isn't until December?" Ginny finally said. 

"Just open it," Ron said, rolling his eyes. 

"Go ahead, open it!" Harry said, nearly dancing in place. 

Smiling to herself, Ginny gingerly took off the wrapping paper in typical girl fashion. 

"Hurry up!" Ron exclaimed. 

Ginny went even slower, winking at Harry. Ron, disgusted at his sister, ripped the package from her hands and finished removing the paper himself, muttering under his breath about contrary sisters. 

Taking the box from Ron, who handed it back to her, Ginny removed the lid. It was a new Quidditch robe in the finest scarlet material Ginny had ever seen. It had to have been expensive, as the regular game robes weren't nearly as fine. 

"Wow!" she said, running her fingers over the Gryffindor emblem on the front. 

"Turn it over!" Harry told her. Ginny flipped the robe over looking at the back. The material slipped from her fingers. 

Embroidered in gold thread across the top were the words: 

**G. WEASLEY**   
**CAPTAIN**

"What is this?" Ginny gasped. 

Ron and Harry both blushed. "Well, we had a meeting the other night," Harry said. "We thought that you should be made captain." 

"Yeah," Ron added, grinning. "Besides, you boss us around anyway, you might as well have a job at it," he joked. 

"I don't believe this," Ginny said. "Are you serious?" 

"Yeah," they said together. 

She carefully folded the robe back into the box, running her fingers over the embroidered lettering. She stood up, gave each of them a hug and a kiss. Stepping back, she gave each boy an accessing look. 

"So, are you saying that you had a meeting without me?" Harry and Ron blinked, then paled at the narrowed brown eyes. 

"Well, uh...." 

"We wanted to..." 

Ginny cut both of them off. "First rule as captain: no unauthorised meetings without my permission. Got that?" Ginny bit her lip to keep from laughing. These two prats were so easy to tease. 

"Yes ma'm," they said in unison. This time Ginny did laugh. It was going to be an interesting year. 

~~~~~~ 

A/N: Let me know if I should continue….I know this is short. 


	2. A New Rule

"You suck

"Do you want to know what I'm going to do to you when this is over?" Ginny seductively hissed as she whizzed past Harry.Harry squirmed nervously on his Firebolt and dropped the Quaffle he was holding.Ginny neatly snatched it up and scored.

"Way to go Ginny!" shouted Bill, who was Keeper for her team.Bill was taking a week's vacation and he, Harry, Ginny, and Ron were all playing a game of two on two in the small glen behind the Burrow.Ginny and Harry were the Chasers and Bill and Ron were the Keepers.Right now the score was 60 to 10, since every time Harry had managed to get the Quaffle, Ginny would say or do something totally outlandish and make him drop the Quaffle or totally miss the goal.

The play resumed, and this time, Ginny blew Harry a kiss as she whispered, "You are just so hot on that Firebolt! You have no idea how bad I want to kiss you."

Harry shifted uncomfortably and wished fervently that the cushioning charm provided a bit more cushioning.He threw the Quaffle straight to Bill, who caught it one handedly.

"That's not fair," Harry cried out peevishly."She's cheating!"

All three players stopped in mid-air and looked at him.Harry suddenly felt very childish and stupid.

"I am not!" Ginny yelled, smiling.

Ron and Bill both flew up to Harry, with identical expressions of outrage on their faces.

"Are you accusing my sister of cheating?" asked Ron, very quietly.

Harry swallowed."She keeps on. . . on . . . saying stuff," he finished lamely, feeling his cheeks heat up.He could see Ginny clutching onto her Nimbus Two Thousand and One as she tried not to laugh out loud.The little minx was enjoying this.

"What does she keep on saying?" Bill asked.

"Yes, Harry.Do tell my brothers what you think I was saying," Ginny laughed.

Harry's emerald eyes narrowed at the red-headed fireball.She was absolutely loving this.

"Never mind," he bit out, frowning at Ginny who merely stuck out her tongue and winked.

Ginny feigned tears, "Oh, I don't think I can play now.The only man I've ever loved is accusing me of cheating!The shame of it all!"Ron and Bill scowled at Harry, who was wearing a scowl of his own at Ginny.

Play continued, with Harry in control of the Quaffle.Ginny zoomed in right along side Harry, who saw her but was too busy trying to score to pay any attention to her.Ginny suddenly reached out, grabbed Harry's head, and kissed him senseless right in the center of the pitch.When she released him, he had to hold on the Firebolt with both hands.The Quaffle had long since slipped from his fingers.

"Foul! Foul!" roared Ron, seeing what had happened."What the hell did you just do, Ginny?Ew!"

Harry could hear Hermione, who was watching the game from below burst out laughing.

"Honestly, Ginny!" said Bill as he came over."That's not in the rule books, you know that! No snogging allowed!"

"I'm sorry," Ginny apologized, looking not very sorry at all."I just thought he needed a good kiss.And there really isn't a rule regarding snogging on way or another.I pretty much like it this way, don't you Harry?"

Harry nodded eagerly, despite the glare coming from Ron.

"Why aren't you yelling foul, Harry!She's trying to take advantage of you!" Ron shouted angrily at Harry."Quit looking like you're enjoying this!"Ron was very competitive when it came to the sport, even though it was only the four of them playing.

"I am enjoying this! And you heard her, Ron," Harry replied calmly."She thought I needed a good kiss!"

Ron sputtered, turning red at the ears.Bill chuckled and Ginny just smiled at Harry.

"Oh, you're just mad because no one wants to kiss you," Ginny said to Ron.Ron's ears now blended in with his hair, they were so red.

"Why don't we just call it a day since our Chasers can't manage to keep their hands off one another," suggested Bill diplomatically.Ron's eyes were still very large and he looked as if he couldn't decide who he wanted to yell at: Harry or Ginny.He settled for doing neither and floated down to Hermione, who was ready to soothe his male pride by giving him a kiss.

Bill, Ginny, and Harry burst out laughing."I do hope for poor Harry's sake that you don't play like that when the season starts, especially as the new captain," Bill said."You have to set the example for the rest of the team, and you can't have them all trying to snog their opponents during the game."

Ginny blushed and chortled, "As captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, I have the privilege of making new rules.Rule number two: snogging is permitted when the captain feels it is necessary to win the game.Or when she just feels like it," Ginny said, throwing Harry a look.She laughed and continued, "It would make for a pretty interesting game, though wouldn't it?Peter Byrne, that captain for Ravenclaw, is sort of cute.And I'd pay a million galleons to see Harry kiss Malfoy."She laughed even harder as Harry turned a spectacular shade of red.

Harry lunged for her and called out, "You're going to pay for that one!"Ginny squealed as she was lifted off of her Nimbus and placed in front of Harry, who took off like lightning.

*************************************************

They landed in the small meadow nearby, Harry placing Ginny gently down onto the soft, sweetly smelling grass and plopping down next to her, stretching out his long frame while she laid her head on his chest.

"Hey Harry," she said softly after a short while. 

"Mmm?" he replied, drowsy from the sun and the earlier play.

"Why did you and Ron make me captain?"

Startled at the question, Harry raised his head to look at her thoughtfully."Well, it just seemed like you were the best one out of the three of us," he said truthfully."I mean, you were always the one to push us to the limits during practices, even Fred and George looked to you.Why?"

Ginny sighed."I don't want everyone to think that I got made captain just because I'm related to half the team and dating the Seeker."

"Well, you are related to half the team, or you were at least for a while.And the Seeker _is_ madly in love with you, but anyone that's seen you fly knows why you were made captain, and that's because you are damn good," Harry said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

"I love you too," Ginny smiled up at him.

"You should, especially after I let you get away with those little stunts you pulled today."

"Admit it, you loved every minute of it," Ginny giggled.

"Nope.If I admitted it, you probably won't be tempted to do it again."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:I'm really still not too sure what's going to go on in here, so just bare with me a bit while I fiddle around.I have a few ideas, but this story isn't as easy to write as "The Chaser."


	3. At Flourish and Blotts

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A/N: Ok, so I gather from the reviews that everyone seems to like the kissing. That's good, because well…what would be the point of being the Queen of H/G without having them kiss a few times here and there? : ) So, here is some more kissing and I even managed to throw in a bit of a plot as well. I'm so glad everyone seems to be pleased with this. 

Oh, and if you haven't read "The Chaser" yet then back out now and read that one first and the warnings that come with it. Then you'll understand why everyone is a bit OOC. These two stories aren't meant to be taken seriously, it would suck all the fun out of them if they were. : ) 

Thanks to Ondergirl Carrie for getting me through the sticky parts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Ginny's eyes fluttered as she felt something brush across her cheek. Blinking in the darkness, she could see the tiny glint of starlight reflected in Harry's glasses. Suppressing a yawn, Ginny stretched and looked around.They must have fallen asleep since the warmth of the sun had now been replaced by a gentle night breeze and a blanket of stars overhead.The chirping of crickets provided the background music.Her gaze went to Harry, who was yawning as well and trying to hide a grin.

"You were watching me sleep again," she said drowsily, smiling. God, she loved moments like this, when there were only the two of them and the rest of the world didn't exist. She loved how sleepy he looked, his green eyes nearly appearing black in the darkness, and how deep his voice was. 

"Yeah," he admitted sheepishly. "You're so cute when you snore." 

"I don't snore!" she protested, jabbing a finger at him. 

"You do," he insisted, laughing softly as he took her finger and brought it to his lips. "It's not as loud as your brother's, but you do snore." 

"Hmmmpft." 

"But I still love you anyway," he chuckled pulling her close for a deep kiss. She giggled when she noticed that his glasses were once again fogged up. Kissing his nose, she gently pulled them off and cleaned them up on his robes. Settling back down again with her head on his chest, his heartbeat a steady thud in her ear, she sighed deeply.She didn't want the summer to end. Tomorrow they would be leaving for Diagon Alley to get their supplies and the next day they would be leaving for Hogwarts.

She felt Harry's long fingers tangle in her hair, gently massaging her scalp. Blissfully closing her eyes, she was almost drifting off when Harry's voice broke the silence. 

"Ginny, do you ever think about our future?Like what happens to us next year?" 

"What about it?" 

"Well, you'll still be in school, and I….well hell, I don't know what I'll be doing. That's the problem. We won't be seeing much of each other…." his voice trailed off. 

Ginny knew what he was trying to say, she had thought about it herself. How was she to manage surviving one year without seeing him on a daily basis? Her heart lurched at the very idea. 

She smiled wanly at him, "We'll think of something. If nothing else, we'll wear out Hedwig and Pig with letters," she giggled, trying to lighten the mood. 

"I guess so," Harry said."But what are we going to do after we graduate?"

Ginny sighed again thinking."I don't really know, Harry.I guess I…I guess I just thought that you'd end up becoming some world famous Quidditch star or something like that.As for me, well…I'm not sure what I want to do besides some traveling."She smiled teasingly, "I guess I could always restart the Harry Potter Fan Club."

Harry tweaked a lock of her hair and growled, "Don't you even think about it."

"So, what do you want to do, Harry?"

"I don't even know, Gin," Harry told her honestly. "Your dad wants me to try out the Ministry, Dumbledore and Sirius think I'd make a good Auror, and you know Oliver Wood keeps on badgering me to get into the game for real." Oliver Wood was constantly owling Harry about trying out for one of the pro-teams, giving him inside information on the teams needing a reserve Seeker. Oliver had even started in on Ginny when he'd heard of her success as a Chaser. 

"And none of those possibilities appeal to you?" Ginny asked. 

Harry rose up on his elbow to meet her gaze. "Not really," he said. "The Ministry is so boring, and I think I've had enough with the Dark Arts for a while," he snorted. "And even though I love Quidditch, I don't think I want to go pro. I'd hate to end up like Ludo Bagman," he smiled wryly. 

Ginny giggled at the thought of Harry acting like Bagman.Ludo Bagman could barely string a sentence together these days after all those years of being hit by Bludgers.  
  
"Then," Harry continued, his eyes getting a far away look in them, "There's the fact that I don't really need to do anything.I mean, I have enough money to not have to work if I wanted to."He sighed, shaking his head, "I'm just not too sure what I want to do."

Ginny gently caressed his cheek, bringing his gaze back to her. "You'll figure it out." 

"I'm not really good at anything besides Quidditch," Harry sighed.

"Oh, I think I can think of one or two other things you're pretty good at," Ginny replied, giving him a wink and laughing softly at his blush.

A teasing light appeared in the green depths of his eyes. "I guess Hagrid would always be happy to have me as groundskeeper or something.That way I could stay on next year."

Ginny chuckled, "You'd never survive another Skrewt hatching."

Harry grinned, then turned the subject back to what had been bothering him, "But what about us? What do you want for us?"

Ginny sat up, staring up at the stars as if they could provide some answer to the question."I want us to be together, of course. I just don't know beyond that."  
  


"Don't you want to get married?"

"Yes, of course, I do.I'm just going to wait for the right guy to ask me."

"What?!?"

"Just kidding!I was kidding!" Ginny squealed as Harry began tickling her. 

"Be serious!"

"Ok, ok.Yes, I do want to marry."At Harry's narrowed look, Ginny quickly added, "You.I want to marry you.But when I get out, I'll be 18, you'll have just turned 19.Isn't that a bit young?"

"I suppose so," Harry said, not really meeting her gaze.

Ginny sighed, not really wanting to spend the last few days of the summer thinking about what they were going to do two years from now. "Hey, why don't we just make it through this year and the next and cross that bridge when we get to it, ok?" 

Harry leaned over her and whispered inher ear, "Why don't you tell me about those other things you said I was good at?" 

"It would be my pleasure."

*******************************

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Ginny murmured, her eyes wide in complete amazement.

"Yeah," Harry agreed with the same expression of wonder on his face.The object of their fascination was sitting inside the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, its polished mahogany handle gleaming in the sunlight.The Firebolt Broom Company Ltd. had just announced its new line of racing brooms made specifically for each Quidditch position.The first model, the Firebolt Chaser was completely designed for Chasers, with an extra speed boost and a unbreakable charm that allows one to fly upside-down without having to hold on to the handle.

"Price on request," Ginny read from the display sign."That means 'don't even think about owning this broom in the next decade Ginny Weasley'," she said smiling sardonically."Come on Harry," she tugged on his sleeve. "We've gotta go find Ron and Hermione.We've got to get to Flourish and Blotts and get our stuff."

"I'll catch up in a minute, ok?"Harry said, never taking his eyes off the broom."I want to ask when the Seeker model is going to come out."

Ginny just grinned and gave up, knowing that she could pretty much dance naked in the middle of Diagon Alley right now and Harry wouldn't so much as blink in her direction.Playfully wondering if she should one day put that theory to the test, Ginny opened the door to Flourish and Blotts to look for Ron and Hermione. 

"Ron, it's the perfect book for you," Ginny heard Hermione say.Both of them were standing in the N.E.W.Ts section, obviously picking out books to help them with the tests._Notes for the N.E.W.Ts_ and _The N.E.W.Ts: A History_ were already stacked in Hermione's arms.

"Nope.No way Hermione," Ron replied firmly.Hermione sighed and put back the copy of _N.E.W.Ts for Those Who'd Rather Not Study for Them._

"I am so glad I don't have to take those yet," Ginny said as she came up beside them."I'm still recovering from the O.W.L's."

Hermione looked over at her and said, "You should be, especially after getting all twelve of them."Ginny grinned. "But," Hermione continued, "It's never to early to start preparing for the N.E.W.Ts."

Ron rolled his eyes."Where's Harry at?" he asked, obviously trying to get the subject off studying.

"He's at Quality Quidditch Supplies.The new Firebolt Chaser is in."

Ron's eyes lit up with a dreamy expression."Great! What does it look like? Did you see it?"

"Yes, I saw it and it's really spectacular," Ginny said, smiling at Ron's enthusiasm."Harry was practically drooling over it."

"I'm going to go over there.We'll meet up in about thirty minutes at Florean Fortescue's, ok?" And before Hermione or Ginny could even reply, Ron was gone.

"Men!" Hermione said disgustedly."Wave a broomstick in front of them and that's all they ever think about!"The two girls burst out laughing. 

"Ginny?" 

Ginny twirled around at the voice.She looked up into a pair of ice-blue eyes set into a deeply tanned complexion.

"Peter! How are you?"Ginny asked.Peter Byrne was Captain and Beater of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.Ginny had known him ever since they had to share a workstation in Potions together.He was a really nice guy and very handsome if one favored the strong, silent, hero-type.

"Hermione, you know Peter Byrne don't you?" Ginny asked. 

"Of course! Hi, Peter." 

"Nice to see you, Hermione.Congratulations on getting Head Girl," Peter said smiling down at her.Peter was almost as tall as Ron, who was nearly six foot five.

Hermione blushed, "Thanks."

Peter turned back to Ginny, "Did you hear the news? Draco Malfoy got Captain."

Ginny snickered, "Big surprise there.It's simply amazing what daddy's money can buy these days."

"That's what I thought too," Peter smiled. "So, have you guys decided who the next Captain for Gryffindor will be yet? I know there's only three of you left, isn't there?"

Ginny tried to fight the heat that rushed to her cheeks.This was the first time she was actually going to have to face the truth: she was a team Captain now.Once the words escaped her lips, there would be no turning back."Yes, actually Harry and Ron decided it should be….me."Ginny mentally sighed, thinking how hard it was to say that one simple word and glad that it was over with.

"Really?That's great!Congratulations!Wow, I don't think I've ever looked so forward to playing Gryffindor before," Peter winked at her.

**Whoa! Is this guy flirting with us?**_I think he is.Too bad I'm already taken, although he really isn't my type._**Definitely not our type; I've never cared for men with blue eyes.Or brown hair.And he's too tall, I've got a crick in my neck after just a few minutes of talking to him.**_Oh, just go ahead and say it:He's not Harry, that's what's wrong with him._**I was just pointing out a few features, that's all.Just for the record.**_Whatever._

"Thanks, Peter," Ginny replied.Peter gave her an incredible smile in return.

"Well, well, well," came a new voice."If it isn't the Weasel girly and the Mudblood."Draco Malfoy strode up to the them with his usual smug scowl in place.

"Hello, Draco!" Ginny said, knowing that he absolutely hated the way she said his name, which was why she said it as often as she could in a very nasty-sweet tone.

"Malfoy," said Peter coolly.

"Byrne," Draco returned just as cool.

"Well, this is a happy party indeed," Ginny said at last."Much more pleasant than meeting on the Quidditch Pitch."

"Yes, that reminds me, Weasley," Draco said."Who's going to be captain of your pitiful team?"

"That 'pitiful' team as you so aptly put it, wiped the floor with yours…let's see…nowthat would be three times straight, did it not?"Ginny said very sweetly as if she were talking to a child.

Draco lost his smug look for a moment. 

Peter smiled."Draco, may I introduce you to the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team?"Draco's eyes widened then narrowed.

"I might have known," he said, eyes running up and down Ginny. "I bet I can guess how that came about with you related to one half of the team and sleep—"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence!" growled Peter, shocking both Draco, who was now struggling to breathe as Peter's hand was clenched around his throat, and Ginny who'd just simply never seen anyone react that fast to one of Draco's insults.

"Peter," Ginny said very hesitantly, aware of the attention they were receiving, "It's ok, you can let him go."

Peter released Draco, who simply gasped and without missing a beat said, "I should've known Potter and Weasley would have hired a bodyguard to watch over you and the Mudblood—"

Peter didn't let him finish that sentence either.Ginny winced as Peter's fist made contact with Draco's face, knocking him to the floor. 

**Why are we always somehow involved in fights at Flourish and Blotts?**_Just our bad luck._

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Sorry for ending it right there, but I'll have the next part out soon (I hope).

I've noticed where people have been including soundtracks to their stories, and thought what the hell?These are the songs that I listened to while writing this and "The Chaser."But pretty much any pop music will work.

Dream—"He loves younot."

Backstreet Boys- "It's gotta be you," "Shape of my Heart," "Not for Me," and "How did I fall in love with you?"

Britney Spears- "Oops, I did it again!"

BBMak- "Still on your side"

SoulDecision-"Faded"

Spice Girls-"Holler"

Paul McCartney and Wings- "Maybe I'm Amazed"(LOL, you just **knew** I was going to stick this in here!)

  
  
  



	4. The Greeneyed Monster

FanFiction.Net var banner = 1; 

  


A/N: I'm starting to have fun with this, now : ) And I loved all the responses that Peter got. He's probably thrilled with them too, but too noble to say anything about them.

And like before, the thoughts are going to be in bold and italics. Some of the thoughts will be occurring immediately after dialogue, so I hope it doesn't get confusing. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ginny looked over to Hermione, who was biting her lip, obviously torn between wanting to stop the two boys before it got out of hand and the sheer pleasure of watching Draco Malfoy get the total shit beat out of him.

  
"I'm noticing that you aren't doing anything to stop them," Ginny said to her friend. 

"Considering you are Head Girl and all."

"Yes, well…I'm not wearing my Head Girl badge am I? And the term hasn't started yet." Hermione replied, her brown eyes bright with humor.

"I don't think Peter's hurting him much," Ginny said, giving another wince as Peter gut punched Draco.

"No, not really," Hermione said slowly, as Peter ducked from one of Malfoy's blows and returned with a quick jab to the jaw. "We'll pull Peter off of Malfoy when Malfoy starts to actually fight back, ok?"

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

******************************

"Are you sure you're ok, Peter?" Ginny asked as both she and Hermione helped him sit down at one of the tables outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

"I'm fine," Peter replied, sighing as Hermione quickly placed a rag filled with ice cubes to the bruise on his cheek. 

"That was really amazing," Hermione said very quickly while she inspected the bruise. "I mean, there really wasn't any need for violence, since Ginny and I are both used to his insults and you really could have gotten in trouble with the store keepers—"

  
"If you weren't so quick thinking and ended up leaving Malfoy with the blame, Hermione," Ginny said. 

"And him paying for the damages," Peter chuckled. 

Hermione blushed, "Yes well. But I really shouldn't have enjoyed that so much."

"Why?" Ginny asked. "I heard you slapped Malfoy in your third year!"

"No way!" Peter exclaimed. "You slapped Malfoy?"

Hermione's blush now extended from the roots of her hair to the bottom of her neck. "That was under special circumstances," she explained. "Completely different situation. And it was only a slap."

"Ron still talks about it though," Ginny grinned.

Hermione occupied herself with fussing about Peter's bruise, completely ignoring the both of them. Peter and Ginny both shared a look at Hermione's sudden silence. 

Ginny held up Peter's right hand, gently feeling for any broken bones. "I think you're ok so far as the bones are concerned, Peter," she said. "But you've a really deep cut here across your knuckles."

"Damn boy has teeth like a shark," Peter muttered, wincing as Ginny cleaned the cut with a bit of water and a cloth that Mr. Fortescue had brought out for them.

"Well, that's the best I can do here," Hermione said at last, taking the ice pack from the bruise. "The swellings gone down some and it doesn't look as if it will be too much of a problem for you."

"Thanks Hermione," Peter replied.

"Thank you, by the way," Ginny added, taking a fresh piece of cloth and cleaning the cut with a bit of water. "For giving Malfoy what he deserved."

"Yes, thank you," Hermione chimed in.

It was now Peter's turn to blush. "It was nothing," he said, his ice blue eyes twinkling. 

*************************

"Can you imagine going from zero to three hundred in six seconds?" Ron asked Harry, still in awe over the new Firebolt Chaser. 

"Or the fact that it's coated with liquid diamonds to make it practically indestructible," Harry agreed. "I'd like to see the Whomping Willow take on that!" 

"And the shop owner was telling us about the Firebolt Keeper! Wow, I'd sure love to get my hands on that when it comes out," Ron sighed, blue eyes misting over. "Imagine it having a charm that lets you fly it standing up!"

"Gin's going to just die when we tell her that we actually got to _touch_ it," Harry chortled, slamming into Ron, who had stopped dead in Harry's path.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Who's that guy Hermione's bending over?" Ron said in a deadly whisper.

"What?" Harry followed Ron's gaze to the table at Florean Fortescue's. "Oh. Him."

****

**Isn't that Peter Byrne, the handsome Ravenclaw captain?** _Yes, I believe that's him._ **Funny how we run into him just after Ginny made that comment yesterday about him being cute, isn't it?** _Hilarious._

"I think that's the Ravenclaw captain, Peter Byrne," Harry answered. Both men started walking at a much faster speed.

****

**Hey, I have a good question: why is Ginny holding his hand?** _ I don't know, but it better be because he's just found out he's dying._ **I can arrange that for him. **_Very quickly._

"Harry!" Ginny called over at him when she saw their approach. "You'll never guess what happened!" she said excitedly.

****

**I don't know, but I bet it's got something to do with this guy here.** _Why is she holding his hand?_

Harry noticed how Ron looped an arm around Hermione's waist and frowned down at Peter, who seemed to be oblivious to the attention he was getting. 

__

_Probably because Ginny's still holding his hand._ **Why is she doing that?**

"Peter got into a fight with Draco Malfoy!" Ginny's brown eyes were practically dancing as she looked up at him. 

"What happened?" Ron asked, his frown lessening. 

"Oh, well, it was really Malfoy's fault," Hermione explained. "Just after you left us in Flourish and Blotts we were talking with Peter and then Malfoy came up and started on his normal routine. You know, Mudblood Granger---"

"Poor Weasley," Ginny finished, putting a bit of medicine on the deep gash on Peter's hand. _Let go of his hand, Ginny!_

"And anyway, Peter just hauled off and started punching him," Hermione finished, smiling at Peter. _Let go of his hand!_

"It was a really spectacular fight," Ginny chimed in. "You've got a nasty left," she beamed at him. **Let go damnit!**

Harry wanted nothing more than to get Ginny far away from Peter so he could kill him. _Why is she still holding his hand?_

"We've just been patching him up," Hermione said. **Good, Hermione'll have some practice before I hurt him again.** "Malfoy looks worse though."

"Hmmm," Ron said, pulling out a chair for Hermione to sit in and taking the chair in between her and Peter.

"Are you ok Harry?" Ginny asked, curious as to why he hadn't said anything.

"I'm fine," Harry said, giving her what he hoped was a bright, nothing-is-wrong type of smile. 

__

_I'd be much better if you would just let go of him damnit!_ **Ok, maybe we should be levelheaded about this, why are we getting so worked up here? I mean this is Ginny we are talking about, and Peter's not a bad sort.** _Yeah, maybe you're right. We're just overreacting, that's all._ _She was just doctoring him up after he hurt himself._

Ginny wrapped a bit of bandage around Peter's hand and tied it off. "There. All done," she said brightly. She stood up, dusted off her robes and reached up to give Harry a kiss.

****

**There we go!** _Much better!_

"So, uh Peter," Ron began, "Did you see the new line of Firebolts out, yet?"

"Yeah, I did," Peter replied, gingerly feeling the bruise on his cheek. "Actually, I was going to tell you before we got interrupted back there at Flourish and Blotts that my uncle works for the company as a Spell Checker. He makes sure that all the spells cast on them were done correctly and such. He was wanting to know if I knew of a good Chaser at Hogwarts that would like to test it out at the official opening this evening at Quality Quidditch Supplies."

"Wow!" said Ginny and Ron at the same time. "That Chaser on your team, I believe his name is McMullers--he's pretty good," Ron added.

Harry had a sick feeling he knew what was coming next.

"Yeah, he is," Peter said, a pink tint slightly darkening his cheeks as he faced Ginny. "But you're better. I told Uncle Michael that I'd ask you."

"Me?" Ginny was shocked. 

__

_Overreacting, were we? Not a bad sort, is he?_ **Oh, he's smooth alright.**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Ok, so this looks like a good spot to end. Find out what happens at Quality Quidditch Supplies when Ginny hops on the new Firebolt, why exactly Harry is so jealous, and learn more about this Peter guy.

Oh, a quick plug. Ondergirl and myself, through several late night chats on AOL, decided to try our hand at writing what we termed "a well-written and tasteful" Harry and Ginny R rated smut fic. It even has a bit of a plot to it, due to Ondergirl's efforts. LOL, we were both too chicken to post it under our real names so we invented one, just in case everyone thought the story sucked. It's only been out for one night, but so far we've received pretty darn good reviews (even from the H/H ship, of all places) and we're now ready to take the credit, but not the blame. ; ) Check it out, it's titled "The Seduction of Harry Potter" (we named ourselves the Monarchs of H/G). You might remember the title from one of Ondergirl's chapter titles in "Written in The Stars."


	5. Faster than a Speeding Bullet

A/N: In her review, Aira asked a question that I had not thought about

A/N:Yeah, I know no one has heard from me in a while.Sorry about that, I'm struggling with a bout of writer's block, combined with my new job, which takes up a considerable amount of my day.So, please forgive me for not updating in a while, and please don't give up on me or my stories.: )

In her review, Aira asked a question that I had not thought about.She asked about the origin of the name Peter and whether it had anything to do with the "other" Peter in the HP world.To be honest, I had completely forgotten all about Peter Pettigrew when I came up with the name Peter Byrne, just because I always refer to PP in my mind as "Wormtail."I actually like the name Peter, and just thought it was a nice name to give this character I had in mind.The last name of Byrne comes from one of my favorite actors: Gabriel Byrne.So, no hidden meaning there.: )

I'm happy everyone seems to be enjoying this so far…sorry for making this chapter so short, but I wanted to hurry up and post _something_.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Get out of the way, please! Coming through!Daily Prophet here!" shouted a small man with a camera as he shoved his way through the throng of people inside Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"Oh, bugger off!" Ron snapped as the man tried to shove him out of the way."That's my sister up there!"

And indeed she was up there, at the podium that was erected inside the store, looking very nervous as she stood between Mr. Simons, the president of the Firebolt Broom Company Ltd. and Kennilworthy Whisp, famous author of_Quidditch Through the Ages_ and renown Quidditch expert.

"Welcome!" Mr. Simons began, in a booming voice as he beamed out at the crowd."I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming today to see the unveiling of the first in a new line of Firebolts."He paused while everyone clapped.Harry looked over around Ron to where Peter stood next to his uncle.They were bothin deep conversation, whispering to each other as they cast glances at the stage.Peter's Uncle, Michael Moran, turned out to be none other than the father of Deirdre Moran, the Chaser for Ireland, who stood next to Peter.She smiled briefly as Harry's eyes met hers.

Mr. Simons continued his speech."I've got a few special guests here with me.Let me introduce you first to the famous author and Quidditch expert Kennilworthy Whisp."Mr. Whisp, a very burly fellow with a good-natured smile and pleasant face smiled and waved jauntily at the crowd."And as a special guest, we have here with us a young Chaser from Hogwarts who has just been made Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. She will be giving our new Firebolt its first test run. May I present Miss Ginny Weasley!"Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Peter clapped loudly, with Harry making sure that his claps were the loudest.Ginny gave a smile and a wave, although it wasn't too hard to notice that she was uncomfortable with the attention that she was getting.Harry gave her a good luck wink, and was pleased to note that she had seen it when her cheeks turned a slight pink.

"This new line of Firebolts will each have certain enhancements specific to each position in Quidditch," Mr. Simons began."This first model, the Chaser, has all the qualities of the Firebolt that has made it such a force to be reckoned with! However, the Chaser offers a few new tricks such as a charm that lets one fly without the need for hands, making it much easier to hold a Quaffle.It also sports five coats of liquid diamond polish!Nothing's going to harm this baby!We've enhanced the unbreakable braking spell, which is handy since we increased the maximum speed to three hundred miles an hour. The Firebolt Chaser,ladies and gentlemen, is now the fastest racing broom on earth!"Cheers, claps and yells filled the store, rattling the glass in the display cases and windows.

The Firebolt Chaser was brought out from its place in the window.Kennilworthy Whisp took it and handed it to Ginny."Miss Weasley," Mr. Whisp said. "Would you do us the honors of being the first to fly a Firebolt Chaser?"Ginny's hands shook as she grasped the broom by the handle and nodded mutely."As Miss Weasley is in the air, I will ask that she demonstrate a few of the Firebolt Chaser's new enhancements that Mr. Simons described for us.Are you ready to begin?"

From the moment Ginny hopped on the Firebolt, she was nothing more than a vague red blur.Quality Quidditch Supplies was an enormous store, nearly twice the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but Ginny sped from one corner to the other as if it were no more than the Dursley's broom cupboard on Privet Drive.Several times Mr. Whisp had to ask Ginny to slow down so that everyone could actually see her.She flew upside down, grabbed a Quaffle from one of the shelves and began throwing and catching it herself.The crowd ducked several times as she flew by, and although Harry wasn't sure, he could have sworn he felt a brief kiss pressed on his cheek when she flew by him in a red flash.

They clocked her at three hundred fifteen miles per hour.Mr. Simons was thrilled beyond belief.Mr. Whisp was impressed.Ron had started up a conversation with the rude Daily Prophet photographer about who had taught Ginny to fly.

"Well, her first broom was our oldest brother Bill's Shooting Star.We all learned to fly on it," Ron was telling the photographer who had his quill and parchment out and was rapidly taking notes.

Harry tried to push his way to the stage, a surprisingly difficult task because hundreds of people had now gathered around it.He even had to stand on his tiptoes to try to see if he could spot bright red hair.Ginny was shaking hands again with Mr. Whisp and Mr. Simons. Her hair was windblown and almost as bushy as Hermione's.Ginny's bright brown eyes were sparkling with excitement.Harry had never seen her more beautiful than she was right then, just after having flown the world's fastest racing broom. Peter and his uncle, along with Deirdre Moran had also joined them.Harry finally found a gap in the crowd and hurried towards the stairs.

"Just a minute shorty, where d'you think you're off to?"A large, muscular wizard with beady black eyes, a few missing front teeth, and long beard blocked his path.

"I'm with her," Harry said, nodding over at Ginny, who was still standing on the stage shaking hands with everyone and chatting breathlessly.

The man laughed, spraying Harry with spittle."You with her?Yeah right, and I'm bloody Merlin.Get on, you or I'll have you thrown out."

"Harry!Harry, over here!"Ginny had spotted him and rushed over to him.Harry gave the man a nasty smirk as he shoved past him and joined the rest on the stage.Ron and Hermione were there as well, and Ron's mouth gaped wide open in astonishment at finally meeting Kennilworthy Whisp.Harry couldn't help but notice that Ginny, Peter, his uncle, and Deirdre Moran were all talking to Mr. Whisp and Mr. Simons like they were old school chums.There was a strange twinge in his chest.

"It's such an honor, Mr. Whisp," Ron said eagerly.Mr. Whip was a likable fellow, and smiled at Ron as they shook hands.

"Your sister tells me you were the one to teach her how to fly, Mr. Weasley and that you are one of the best Keepers Gryffindor has seen in years," Mr. Whisp replied while Ron grinned in embarrassment and Harry watched as Ron's face blended with his hair and made his whole head look like a overripe tomato.

"Ah, and Harry Potter!Nice to meet you too!"Harry felt himself flush as he met the world's foremost Quidditch expert."Ginny told me you were the youngest Seeker at Hogwarts in over a century.You'll have to tell me more about that tonight."

"Yeah," Harry said, feeling his face heat up even more.

"Mr. Whisp has invited us all to dinner, Harry," Ginny explained.

"But first you both are needed in the back room, Ginny."Mr. Simons had been talking to the Daily Prophet photographer, who was now carrying his equipment to the rear of the store."Just a few publicity photos, nothing serious.You don't mind do you?"

"I guess not," Ginny said, her brown eyes wide as Mr. Whisp lead her to the room where the photos were to be taken.

Harry could do nothing more than watch her go as Mr. Simons began to ask him questions about Ginny.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:Like I said this was short.I'll try to have the next part out soon, but I just wanted to hurry up and post something. The next chapter of "Dear Tom" should be out soon, I have some of it written already. And I've been thinking about the rewrite of "The Scar" too, so expect the next chapter of that out as well. J

"La Belle et La Bete" will have to wait a while, since I'm sort of lost as to where I want to go with the story. 

Thanks for reading! 


	6. Bouncing Quarters

A/N:I'm back!!!In a hurry to get this out, I've not bothered to beta-it so all mistakes are mine. The formatting will most likely be screwed up as well.As always, think of this more as a "cartoon HP" than anything serious.You'll enjoy it more.

Disclaimer:I own nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Well, this was certainly a most interesting day!How many witches can say they've ridden a Firebolt Chaser?**

_Only one and I believe that would be…me!_

It was nearly midnight and the exciting events of the day still whirled through Ginny's mind like billywigs.The photo-shoot had ended up taking longer than planned because Mr. Simons insisted on photos of the Firebolt Chaser in the air, meaning that Ginny had to fly it again.The hard part was going slow enough that she would show up on the photographs, and many of the photos had to be re-taken because she would fly out of the frame, leaving only a red blur in her wake.When Mr. Simons had approved of the photographs, it was way past dinner.

Dinner with Mr. Simons, Mr. Whisp, Peter and his Uncle, and Diedre Moran was absolutely delightful.Tom at the Leaky Cauldron had a room reserved for them and endless pitchers of Butterbeer and heaping mounds of food kept everyone in good spirits.Kennilworthy Whisp was the most fascinating man Ginny had ever met and he entertained them all with the stories of the many Quidditch matches he had seen, the famous players he knew, and even mentioned that he was planning a new book entitled _The Best Quidditch Players under the Age of Twenty-One_ and might be visiting Hogwarts during the Quidditch season.Ginny giggled to herself, hoping not to wake Hermione who was sleeping in the next bed, as she remembered Ron's and Harry's reactions at the prospect of being considered for a book.Ron had accidentally put his elbow in the pudding and Harry knocked over his Butterbeer, spilling it all over his clothes and making him smell like the beverage for the rest of the evening.

Thinking of Harry brought Ginny's mind to Diedre Moran, who was a very pretty woman.She couldn't have been much older than twenty-two or three, and was very polite to everyone.Diedre had complimented Ginny on her flying, and even mentioned that she'd keep an eye out for any new positions coming up.Despite being nice and polite, Ginny didn't like her and she couldn't figure out why.It could have been the way she smiled at Harry when he'd upturned his Butterbeer, or it could have been the fact that Diedre had hair even redder than Ginny's own bright red locks.Or it simply could be the fact that Ginny knew Harry seemed to have a thing for Quidditch players.

**Oh, please!You've got to be kidding me!**

_What?He does seem to prefer Quidditch players, just ask Cho Chang!And correct me if I'm wrong, but did or did he not notice me only after I tried out for the team!?!_

**He would have eventually come to his senses!I can't believe that you actually believe that Harry would ever even think of—**

_I never said I believed that!Only that there is a possibility!_

A slight creaking noise snapped Ginny from her thoughts and she rose up slightly to look around.Seeing nothing, but Hermione's sleeping form, Ginny rolled over on her back and grabbed her teddy bear to hug it to her.Only it wasn't her teddy bear she grabbed.

"Ouch!" Came a deep whisper.

"What the—" a hand clamped over her mouth before Ginny could finish.A faint smell of Butterbeer and shampoo pervaded the air.

"I couldn't sleep," whispered Harry's voice, and who still had an invisible hand pressed over her lips."And I came to check to see if you weren't asleep…and then I thought that we could 'not sleep' together."His voice sort of trailed off at the end, and Ginny could just imagine his cheeks turning a slight cherry.She wanted to tease him, however as she could not speak, she did the only thing she could do.She stuck out her tongue and licked his palm.

"Ahhh!" said Harry reflexively, snatching his hand away.Ginny giggled as a whoosh of cloth whirled around her and she was suddenly inside his Invisibility Cloak with Harry grinning down at her in the darkness.

"It's nice in here," she said quietly."I've never been under here before."She could barely see him.

"Ummmm…," replied Harry, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair."You smell good."

"And you still smell like Butterbeer.Need another bath?I could scrub your back," she teased.

Harry's face now resembled a color of pink Ginny had only seen on Rita Skeeter's fingernails.He was so adorable when she teased him.

"Let's go downstairs," Harry whispered instead.And so, walking closer than was required for moving under an Invisibility Cloak, they descended the stairs.

"Nice pajamas," Harry told her, fingering the well-worn deep purple cloth with a gold star on the front.It was Bill's ancient Pride of Portree t-shirt.The hem of it came down to her knees.Ginny smiled and laid her head on his chest, still chuckling over the scent of Butterbeer.

"What's wrong Harry?"

Harry sighed deeply and Ginny watched as he adjusted his glasses, a tactic he used when he was thinking about what to say next.

"I don't know," he said finally."I think it's because it's my last year at Hogwarts.I'm going to miss it, Gin.The happiest years of my life have been there."

"Yeah, I could see how that could be, what with being in mortal danger for the first five years and such."

"I'm serious.I'm really going to miss things.It didn't hit me until this evening at dinner, when I realized that once this year is over, I'm not going to have anywhere to go.And I don't know what I want to do."

"I didn't know you were this upset," Ginny replied."You know a year is a pretty long time, you'll figure out something.Quit worrying about this, you're starting to sound like Hermione."

Harry pulled a face and laughed softly."I guess you are right."He kissed her."I love you," he mouthed, his nose pressed against hers.

"I know," Ginny said."I love you too."

**You should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking such things earlier about Harry!**_Yes, I should be turned into Slytherin toenails for that!_

*************************************

The next day dawned bright and sunny for everyone at the Burrow.Breakfast was rushed as usual, with everyone scrambling about for trunks, owls, cats, books, and other needed things.By the time everyone was read, tempers were short and Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were forced to wait another twenty minutes while her parents argued over how they were all going to get to King's Cross Station.

Ginny's dad had brought home some new mode of travel that Muggles used called a "lim-o-zine" that resembled a very large, stretched out car.It was solid black, and was nearly as long as the Burrow was tall.Both Harry and Hermione explained that only rich and well-to-do Muggles ever used cars of this type.Ginny's dad was overjoyed with the news.Her mother, however, went mad when she saw the new car, remembering vividly what had happened to their previous one, the old Ford Anglia that was still running wild in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.

"Arthur," her mum said through gritted teeth."I'm not going to let you fly this thing again!"

"I'm not going to fly it, Molly!" her father said."I've never even put one spell on the car.We're just going to drive it like the Muggles do!"

Everyone piled into the car, and Ginny was amazed to see how roomy it was on the inside.There was some sort of glass box set into the seat which Harry explained was called a T.V.Ginny recognized a telephone set into the seats, and all were amazed to see the compartment that held all sorts of glasses and beverages.

"It's a wet-bar," Hermione frowned as Ron examined a bottle of some clear liquid called "Beefeater Gin."There were several bottles of champagne with the name "Dom Perignon" printed on the label.

"That's really expensive champagne," Hermione explained."Very expensive."Both Ron and Harry grinned as Ron quickly opened the bottle and poured everyone a glass. 

"Ron!"

"Oh, come on, Hermione!We're celebrating our last year at Hogwarts! Well, most of us anyway," he added, nodding at Ginny."And we've got a new Quidditch captain and Head-Girl to toast!"

Hermione blushed and Ron quickly held up his glass and said, "To us!"

"To us!" everyone replied, clinking their glasses and sipping the champagne. Ginny, who had never tasted anything like it before, gulped hers down in two swallows and held her glass up for refilling.

By the time the car rolled up to the King's Cross car park, Ginny had drank three glasses.Hermione had also taken quite a liking to the champagne as well, and both were giggling madly as they took their trunks and placed them on the trolleys.

"What's gotten into you?" asked her mother when Ginny began laughing very loudly when she tripped over a old soda can."What were you all doing back there?"

"Nothing mum!"Ron said, his arm around Hermione, who seemed to have forgotten how to work her legs.Ginny's head felt very light, and if it wasn't for Harry's help in steering the trolley, she would have smashed their things into a pole.

"Whoops!" Hedwig was beginning to screech rather loudly. 

"Careful, Ginny!"Harry was looking around to see if any Muggles were noticing them.They were just at the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

"Ron, Hermione, you go first," said Harry.Ron and Hermione pushed their trolley through the barrier.Ginny felt Harry push her and the trolley in after them. 

"Whew!" sighed Ron and Harry as they all waited for the two adults to join them."That was close!"The usual goodbyes were made and the same warnings were issued.

"Stay out of trouble dears!" called Ginny's mum, wiping her eyes as her father hugged her close.

"We will!"Ginny called through the window of the compartment as the train rolled away.The wind had somehow refreshed her and she didn't feel as lightheaded as before.

Pulling her head back inside, she noticed Hermione's face was a pale green and had her head laying on Ron's lap.

"Is she ok?" Ginny asked.

"She'll be fine," Ron said."It seems our new Head-Girl can't take on more than a few glasses of champagne, though."

"Don't even say that word," moaned Hermione, shifting to a more comfortable position. 

"GINNY! GINNY!"came two new voices into the compartment.It was Amy and Patricia, friends of Ginny's.

"Oh, no! Not them Ginny!" moaned Hermione again."I can't stand them when I'm feeling good!"

Ron, Harry, and Ginny exchanged smiles.It was no secret that Amy and Patricia were quite taken with Ron, much to Hermione's displeasure.

"Hi Ron!" The two girls said breathlessly as they rushed into the compartment.

"Hello!" Ron said pleasantly.Amy and Patricia turned the same identical shade of pink.

"Hello," said Harry.

"Hi Harry," replied the two, their eyes never once looking in his direction.Ginny suppressed a laugh and led her friends back out, both looking back over their shoulders.

"Think Ron and Hermione might break up this year?" Amy asked hopefully.

"You ask me that every year," Ginny said."And the answer is still the same.How was your summer?"she asked, hoping to get the subject off of her brother.These two could turn quite nauseating if not distracted quickly.

"Fine," said Patricia."Although I thought you were going to invite us over for the summer!"

"What?!I never said that!And you were going to Switzerland!" Ginny said.She pointed to Amy, who was also looking rather insulted."And you visited that cousin of yours in America! How was that anyway?"

"Ooooooh!" cried Amy, her eyes lighting up."It was wonderful!American men are incredible!So sexy!" 

"Speaking of men," Patricia interrupted, giving Ginny a sideways glance."What's this I heard about you and Peter Byrne?"

Ginny was shocked."What? Nothing!He got into a fight at Flourish and Blotts with Malfoy and Hermione and I fixed him up."Ginny quickly explained the previous day's events.

"Peter's a really nice guy," Patricia said when Ginny had stopped talking."And very nice looking."

"Very nice looking," Amy agreed."I bet you could bounce a quarter off his ass!"

"He's al—WHAT!?!?"

Amy giggled."That's an expression I picked up in America."

"But what does it mean?" asked Patricia.

"And what's a quarter?" piped Ginny.

"American Muggle money.I think it means he has a nice butt."

"Wow!" said Patricia."Speaking of that,I bet you could bounce on of those off of Ron's—"

**I'M NOT LISTENING TO THIS!**_EWWWW!_

"Oh, come on Ginny!" Patricia said, noticing the look of horror on Ginny's face."Think about all those hours on a broomstick.And don't tell me you've never noticed Harry's!"

"I am not going to discuss Harry Potter's---!" Ginny sputtered, her face heating up.

"Don't be such a prude," scolded Amy."You and Harry have been together for a year!You are going to be Quidditch captain!Think about having to go into the locker rooms to give pep-talks and stuff!"

"Wow!"drooled Patricia."You are so lucky!"

Ginny had had enough."I'm going to go back into the other compartment and pretend this conversation never took place!"And Ginny sped through the doors before her friends could say another word.

Ginny found Ron and Harry playing a game of exploding snap, while Hermione was stretched out on a neighboring seat, fast asleep with Crookshanks purring softly at her side.

Taking a seat across from Hermione, Ginny rummaged through her trunk looking for a book.Propping her feet up in the seat, she began to read.

**Don't pretend you aren't thinking about it!**

_I'm not thinking about anything, except what's going to happen in the next chapter._

**Uh-huh.Pull the other one.You're thinking about bouncing quarters!Admit it!**

_I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT!_

Ginny quickly looked up to see if anyone else had heard that.Ron and Harry had grown tired of their game and were now snoozing.Hermione was out cold on the seat across from her.

**But honestly, you two have been together for a year!And you've never even bothered to check out his—**

_This is ridiculous!I am not going to have such a conversation with you._

The witch with the lunch trolley stuck her head through the door and called out "Anything off the cart, dearies?"Ginny nearly jumped out of her skin.

Harry and Ron both jerked awake."Want something, Gin?"Harry asked, stretching.

"Something with chocolate in it, please."Harry fumbled around in his jeans for his moneybag.

**What perfect timing!Go on!Do it!You know you want to!**

** **

_I won't do it!_

Harry walked up to the witch and began to buy snacks for everyone.

**It's the perfect chance!Do it now!Do it!****You're just being naturally curious, that all.It's your God given right as his girlfriend!**

Ginny stretched, under the pretense of looking to see what Harry was buying.She quickly looked down at her book again.

**Well?**

_Oh, yeah.I could bounce a quarter like Moody bounced Draco Malfoy as a ferret._


	7. Sea of Green

_A/N:FF.net is back!Hooray!!Ok, so big apologies for not getting this out like I promised.If you want, blame Queens Imogen, Sue, and Anne for the delay…they always get me sidetracked with their wonderful stories which can all be found on our yahoo! group the [Queens of H/G][1].And if you were a member of the QoHG, you would know exactly what's coming in the next chapter of "The Captain" (since I posted a preview up on there) and are probably wearing a really, really, big, evil grin right about now. _; )_For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about let's just say it would explain my towel obsession, and why I've been receiving daily death threats to finish writing this chapter…_

Disclaimer: None of this is mine. It all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers.

This chapter is dedicated to all the Queens of H/G, who constantly make me LMFAO until I PML!

****

"Some Chocolate Frogs, some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, cauldron cakes, and some pumpkin fizz, please."Harry paid the lunch trolley witch for the sweets and turned around, his arms loaded, just in time to see Ginny quickly duck her head back down behind the seat.Her face was as red as he'd ever seen it.

**Blimey! Why is she blushing so?What happened?**

_I don't know.Look at her, she's absolutely glowing._Harry stopped in front of Ginny's seat and waited for her to look up.She didn't.In fact, Ginny was holding the book so close to her face that it was a wonder she could see it at all.Harry could only see the tips of her ears, which were so red that they made her vivid hair pale in comparison.

"Ginny?Didn't you want something with chocolate in it?"

"Wha-oh!"She jumped at the sound of his voice and nearly dropped the book she was holding."Hi, Harry! What are you up to?"Ginny quickly closed the book, placed it on her lap, and folded her hands together on top of it.She blinked up at him with a politely confused expression, as though she wasn't too sure of what was going on.

**Has she lost her mind?**

"Well…I asked if you wanted something to eat, and you said you wanted something with chocolate in it and unless I'm very much mistaken, I think that these have chocolate in them."Harry held out the bag of Chocolate Frogs to her."Hence the name, Chocolate Frog."

Ginny looked at the proffered sweet for a moment. "Oh, yes.I remember."

Harry suddenly grinned."What's up Gin?" he teased.If it was possible, her face turned even redder.Harry plopped down on the seat and whispered, "What are you thinking about that's got you blushing so?"

"What makes you think I was thinking about something? I wasn't thinking about anything! I have nothing to think about!"She hissed out quickly, looking at everything in the train compartment but him.

"Were you thinking about me and how much you want to kiss me senseless?" Harry whispered into her ear, smiling when he saw her shiver slightly.Ginny rolled her eyes and grabbed the Chocolate Frog from him.

"Unlike some people I know, I do not always think about snogging," said Ginny, shaking her head.

"Really? Could've fooled me," said Harry, thinking about earlier that morning when he had been pleasantly awakened to her kiss.They had fallen asleep on the downstairs couch and had only minutes to dash upstairs to their rooms before everyone at the Burrow started to wake up.

Ginny made a "tuh—ing" sound under her breath and went back to eating her Frog and reading her book.Harry, however, was still in a mood to play.He made to grab the book from her, feeling a bit annoyed that it held her attentions instead of him.

"You're going to get hurt if you try something like that," Ginny said, just as Harry's hand reached out to snatch the offending tome from her.

"Really? You'd injure your favorite Seeker?"Harry asked in a slightly playful, hurt tone."Would you visit me in the hospital at least?"A miniscule smile formed at the corners of her mouth.His heart did a sort of flip-flop, as it normally did when he knew Ginny had taken his bait.

"No, but I'd send you another get-well card," she replied, at last looking up from her book with laughter in her brown eyes.Harry knew Ginny was referring to the time she had sent him a get-well card in his third year when he had taken a nasty fall from his broomstick.Harry grinned as he remembered how she blushed and handed him a get-well card that she had made herself, and then ran from the room.

"By the way, that wasn't your voice on there was it?"Harry asked as tactfully as he could without hurting her feelings.It sang very shrilly and Harry had to keep it under a bowl of fruit to keep it quiet.He winced as he remembered the screeching sound coming from the card in what was supposed to have been some sort of song, although Harry didn't know it and wouldn't have recognized it at any rate.

Ginny giggled hysterically, apparently not the least bit offended."No," she gasped."That was Percy in the shower."

"What?!?"

Ginny was now doubled over in fits, and Ron had to shush them so that they wouldn't wake up Hermione who was still curled up in the seat opposite them."Thatwas Percy singing in the shower," she repeated gleefully."I had Fred and George sneak into the Prefect's bathroom and use a recording charm.Wasn't it hysterical?"

"So why on earth did you give it to me?Wait, I don't think I want to know the answer to that," Harry quickly amended.Even though they had been together for almost a year, she never ceased to amaze him.Just when he thought he had her all figured out, she completely turned his world on end.He loved it.

"I thought you could use a laugh," Ginny said."Especially after what you'd just gone through.Come on Harry, didn't you just want to howl with laughter when you heard that?Why did you think I gave it to you?"

Harry felt himself flush."Oh…well…you see...I…uh...th-thought it was because you…you know…" he gestured vaguely with his hand.

Ginny busted out laughing again."Shhh!" Ron hissed."You're going to wake Hermione!"

"Sorry!" Ginny replied, still trying to keep her chuckles under control."My, my," she said after a few moments."Someone sure had a big head even at the tender age of thirteen."

"I don't have a big head!" Harry protested loudly, earning another sharp glance from Ron.To change the subject, Harry brought the conversation back 'round to the original topic."So what were you blushing so about earlier?" he asked in hopes of catching her off guard.He smiled when he saw that telltale red slowly creep back into her cheeks.

"I…was…not…blushing…about…anything," said Ginny through gritted teeth, her eyes glinting warningly.Harry knew when to back down and this was definitely the time to do so without getting burned by the fire-breathing dragon Ginny could quickly transform into.Although he'd never been the recipient of her temper, he'd seen it displayed quite frequently and was always amazed that such a fierce temper could come from someone so small.

"Ok, ok." Harry said, still grinning as he threw up his hands in surrender."I get the point."He could hardly contain his laughter as Ginny ripped into another Chocolate Frog and bit into the collector's card.She spat it out angrily.

"Hey Ginny! Are these ok to eat?"Ron whispered loudly from across the aisle.He had a handful of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans in his hand.Hermione snorted, muttered something about test scores, and rolled over.Crookshanks opened one lamplight yellow eye and snuggled back against Hermione, purring softly.

"Yes, those are fine," Ginny replied, inspecting the beans.Ginny had a supernatural talent at knowing exactly what flavor the beans were just by looking at them.She was very fond of using this talent to her advantage and loved nothing more than to pick out all the regular flavored beans and hand some unsuspecting person a bag full of the nasty ones.

"Can I have one?" he asked Ron.Harry took out a green one that he knew would be grass flavored and munched on it, watching Ginny from the corner of his eye as she unfolded her book and began to read again.Her face wasn't as flushed as it had been minutes earlier, but it was still a deep shade of red.

**God, I love it when she blushes like that.It's so adorable.**

_I know, she blushes with her entire body and not just her ears like Ron does.I bet even her toes are pink._

**Take it easy.Thinking about all the places on Ginny that could be a bit flushed at the moment is not a safe topic.Especiallywhen we've got no nice big, thick Hogwarts robes to hide any physical reaction such thoughts might cause.Especially with her brother sitting across the aisle from us.Especially when we can't do anything about the situation.Especially---**

_Oh, alright you prat! I get the bloody point!_

Harry quietly shifted in his seat and glanced over at the bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, remembering something he had once heard regarding the effects of eating a certain color…

**Must be something about the green ones.**

****

Two hours later found Harry quietly snoozing, his head lolling back and forth on Ginny's shoulder with the movement of the train.She shifted a bit, and Harry, disturbed from the movement, buried his face in the curve of her neck and pulled her closer, nestling her against him more comfortably.Ginny made a small mewling sound and absently kissed the top of his head.In such a dream-like state, it was no wonder Harry barely even heard the doors open.

"Aren't we all snug and cozy?" came a hearty male voice accompanied by high-pitched giggles.Harry lazily cocked one eye open and took in the sandy haired form of Seamus Finnigan standing over him and giving him a wicked smile.His best friend Dean Thomas stood next to him and wore the same knowing expression. They both winked slyly.The high-pitched giggling came from none other than those silly girls Ginny sometimes hung out with.Patty and Anne, or something like that.

"Go 'way, Seamus," Harry muttered, stretching and yawning slightly, pulling Ginny even closer to him.

"Now is that anyway to treat your fellow Gryffindors?" said Seamus, plopping down contentedly in the seat across from them.Looking over in the direction of Ron, Harry noticed that Hermione had, at some point, moved over, and was now curled around Ron like a cat.Ginny's friends sat down on either side of Seamus, who waggled his eyebrows at Harry and wrapped an arm around each girl, who both sighed as they looked over at Ron.

**Oh great.The Ron Weasley Fan Club is here.**Harry glared at the two girls.They were oblivious to him as they watched Ron tuck Hermione closer to him.

_Wonder why Ginny is friends with them._

_ _

**Isn't it obvious?Ginny feels sorry for them; they'd have no friends otherwise if it wasn't for her.**__

_ _

_You're right.She's such a giving person._Harry smiled admiringly over in her direction.She was just waking up, and Harry now had something else to add to his grudge with the Ron Weasley Fan Club, disturbing Ginny's sleep.

" 'Lo, Seamus.Dean," said Ginny with a small yawn.

"Ah, so the school's most beautiful Quidditch captain has decided to wake up and grace us with her presence," said Dean, flashing her a blinding grin that showed all of his teeth.

"Speaking of you, Gin," Seamus began, taking a rolled up piece of paper from his jeans pockets and tossing it to her."Did you happen to see this?"

Ginny caught the paper and unrolled it, her bright brown eyes widening so that they were the size of Hagrid's tea saucers.Harry looked over Ginny's shoulder to see what was going on, his own jaw dropping when he read what the headline was of this morning's edition of The Daily Prophet.

"What is it?" Ron quietly asked from his seat, his neck craning to view the paper too."What's it say then?"

Harry felt Ginny take a deep breath as she began to read:

**Hogwarts Newest Quidditch Star **

_by Chryslin McCallum_

Some of the world's greatest Quidditch players ever known have received their start from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Miss Ginny Weasley, Chaser and the newly appointed captain of the Gryffindor House team, has the potential to be added to this esteemed list, joining fellow Gryffindors Oliver Wood and "Dangerous" Dai Llewellyn.Nearly seventeen years old, Miss Weasley has the "speed, agility, and reflexes of a world class Chaser," according to renown Quidditch expert and author Kennilworthy Whisp.Miss Weasley astounded the audience at the Quality Quidditch Supplies store in Diagon Alley last evening when she became the first to fly the new Firebolt Chaser.Walter Simons, President of Firebolt Broom Company, Ltd., unveiled his new creation, along with special guests Kennilworthy Whisp and designer Michael Moran.

The Firebolt Chaser is just the start of the new line of Firebolt's professional Quidditch Line, and sports a new sleekness not seen in the previous models.The deep mahogany handle is protected by five coats of liquid diamond polish, and each birch twig is honed to ultra-dynamic proportions.

However amazing the Firebolt Chaser is, it took second place to the flyer.Miss Weasley, daughter of Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, stole the show as she put the broom through its paces.A bright, vivacious redhead, Miss Weasley is the youngest of seven children, and the only girl.She joined the Gryffindor team last year, as Chaser, helping her team to a spectacular Quidditch cup win against the house of Slytherin.And she's not the only Quidditch player in her family.Her older brother Charlie andtwin brothers Fred and George (last year's co-Captains)also played for Gryffindor.Her brother Ronald Weasley is the current Keeper on the team, a position he has held for three years.

"She's been flying before she could walk," says Ron Weasley."We're all flyers, I mean there's enough of us to start our own Quidditch team if we wanted," he adds."But we all new Ginny had something special.It was my suggestion that she try out for the team last year."

"YOU WHAT??" Ginny roared, making Harry want to cover his ears, and causing everyone in the compartment to jump a good ten feet in the air."You gave me hell for almost two months you bastard!"Sweets flew everywhere as Ginny launched herself towards her brother, and Harry had to act fast by leaping in front of Ginny to block her.

"Ron, really!" Hermione scolded, obviously now awake, although Harry had no idea for how long."And Ginny! Watch your language," she added.

"How was I to know she'd print that?" Ron defended himself, edging so far back against the window that Harry was sure he'd fall through it at any moment.

"She had a Quick Quotes Quill, you idiot!" Ginny snarled, once again making Harry's ears ring with her yells, as he kept a firm grasp around her waist."Of course she was going to print it!"

Hermione shot Ron an exasperated glance as she diplomatically said, "Why don't you stop trying to break our ear drums and finish the article, Gin?I want to see what else it says."Harry bit his lip to keep from grinning as Ginny flushed scarlet, and pushed herself from his grip.She stomped back over to their seat, summoning the newspaper from where ever she had thrown it in her fury and began to read again.

_If what her brother says is true, then it was no wonder Miss Weasley was chosen to test out the Firebolt Chaser.During his introduction, Mr. Simons announced that the maximum speed was three hundredmiles per hour.Miss Weasley was clocked at three hundred fifteen miles per hour, not only delighting the creator and the crowd with her performance, but also earning a spot in the record books as the fastest human to ever fly a broom._

"I didn't know that," Ginny whispered, her mouth moving silently as she reread the last sentence."Wow!"

"Maybe you'll get an award for that!" exclaimed Seamus excitedly.

"Or a spot in the Quidditch Hall of Fame," piped up Dean.

"Or at least some money out of it," chimed in Ron.

Ginny nodded wordlessly, just before continuing the article.

_"It was the most incredible feeling I've ever had," said Miss Weasley breathlessly when asked how she felt to be flying the new Firebolt."You don't realise how fast you're going at all.Everything just sort of slows down, like you're in slow motion."_

When asked about her plans for the future and perhaps turning towards professional Quidditch, Miss Weasley smiled shyly and replied, "I'm too busy right now to think about what's going to happen two years from now. I've got a Quidditch cup to win this year."

Winning the Hogwarts Quidditch cup may not be easy this year, as Miss Weasley has to find two new Beaters to replace her brothers Fred and George, and two new Chasers, who all finished their schooling last year.The two remaining positions are held by her brother Ron, who is Keeper, and boyfriend Harry Potter, who plays Seeker.But with Miss Weasley's combined talent and confidence, it seems like victory is just ahead.

"And that's it," Ginny finished."There's one of the pictures we took last night," she added and Harry glanced down to see Ginny with Mr. Simons and Kennilworthy Whisp, smiling as she held the broom stick in front of her.

"That is so cool!" Ron exclaimed happily."I mean, we were all mentioned!And I was in there three times!" he gloated, beaming over at Ginny, who laughed. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.We're all famous now," she smirked, folding the newspaper up and handing it back to Seamus."I wonder where she got "confidence" from, I was so nervous when she started to interview me, thinking she'd be another Rita Skeeter or something."

"So, when are tryouts, Ginny?" asked Seamus."I heard that Colin Creevey's little brother is pretty fast."

"I have to talk to Madam Hooch to reserve the pitch first, but I think it'll be a week from Saturday," Ginny replied, picking up another Chocolate Frog.

"I'm going to go for the commentary position," said Dean."Now that Lee Jordan is gone, the position is open."

"Great!" said Harry."We need another Gryffindor commentating.I don't think I could bear it if a Slytherin got the job."

"Slimy bastards," spat Seamus, screwing up his face in extreme dislike. 

"Watch your language Seamus," said Ron, placing his hands over Hermione's ears.She shrugged him off and went back to reading her book, bored once the topic turned to Quidditch.

"Shut up, Prefect!" Ginny replied, grinning evilly at her brother.Harry stifled a laugh as Ron's ears turned pink.

"Prefect!" said Dean and Seamus together, looking horrified.

"Ron, you made prefect again?" said Ginny's friend Anne, no wait!—Harry suddenly remembered her name was Amy and the other was named Patricia. 

"He's just so brilliant," sighed Patricia.

  
"He's brought shame to the Weasley family," said Ginny, shaking her head sadly."I'll never live it down."

Ron's ears turned even redder."Shut up!You're just jealous because you didn't make prefect," he said, smirking at them in a satisfied sort of way.Harry laughed as he thought about the incident last year that kept Ginny from being a prefect, an incident that he was a quite willing partner in.A slight pink appeared on Ginny's cheeks, and Harry's smile grew bigger.

"You're just jealous because we didn't let you in on that prank!" Ginny shot back, grinning in a satisfied manner.Ron's expression turned dark and Harry knew he'd have to quickly diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.

"Be careful Gin, or he might take ten points from Gryffindor!" Harry joked, grinning at Ron.

Ron grinned back, stretching his long frame out and propping his legs up on the opposite seat."Nah, I only take points from Slytherin."Ron was famous for taking points from Slytherins for reasons such as breathing or looking ugly.Harry recalled one incident in Potions where Ron had walked up behind Crabbe and Goyle and shouted "Ten points from Slytherin for smelling like something a troll puked up!"The points were never taken from the house of course, prefects had to have approval for doing such, but Ron never tired of trying.

Just then, Hermione let out a small shriek as something small and green landed in her lap.

"Sorry," said Neville Longbottom as he burst into the compartment, "But has anyone seen—"

"He's right here!" said everyone in unison, causing Neville to jump.Trevor the toad had once again escaped Neville.Harry frowned as he looked over at the toad, who, after seven years of living with Neville Longbottom, was looking worse for the wear.Of course that was to be expected when Trevor was the guinea-pig for their Potions assignments, and Snape took great delight in torturing both the pet and its owner. 

"Trevor!" Neville grabbed the toad from Hermione and clutched the pet to him.Trevor let out a half-hearted croak just before he was stuffed under Neville's hat.

"Don't tell me you've managed to lose that toad again, Longbottom."Draco Malfoy strolled in from the opposite side of the compartment, flagged by Crabbe and Goyle who now had to duck their heads as they trudged in behind Malfoy."You were lucky that it didn't find its way over to me.I could have used it for Bludger practice since Crabbe and Goyle are my new Beaters."

Neville went pale at this and shoved his hat down more protectively over Trevor, who could still be heard croaking.Harry was very pleased to note that Draco still had a bruised up face from his encounter with Peter yesterday evening at Flourish and Blotts.Although it irked him to no end that he hadn't been the one to damage the pale skinned face, he still could admire the way Draco's eye was still very purple and swollen.

"Going for size rather than skill again are you, Draco?" Ginny asked.

"At least my team's already assembled, all you have is Scar-Face and the Weasel here," Draco retorted, sneering down at Ginny.Harry and Ron both jumped up instantly, wands out and aimed directly at Malfoy. 

"Was there something you wanted Malfoy?" Hermione asked, standing up as well, in efforts to keep Ron's temper in check by placing her hand on his chest.

Before Malfoy could form a reply, or a scathing retort as was his norm, Crabbe and Goyle caused a distraction. Harry looked over to see that Crabbe was turning a shocking shade of yellow, so bright that Harry almost needed a sunglass charm to protect his eyes from the glare.Goyle was a beautiful pinkish rose, like the color of the clouds at sunset.Everything about them was the same color, from their hair right on down to the clothing they wore.Even Malfoy shaded his eyes as he looked at Crabbe.Only Ginny and Ron seemed undisturbed by this event and each was nearly doubled over with laughter.

"Are those new, Ron?" Ginny asked, giggling as both Crabbe and Goyle tried to wipe the colors off themselves.  
  


"Yes," gasped Ron, pointing at the small pile of sweets."Fred and George sent them to me this morning.New and improved, with longer color time!" Ron chortled, barely able to keep his wand focused on Malfoy from laughing so hard.His eyes falling on the pile of brightly colored and wrapped pieces, Harry realized what had happened.Crabbe and Goyle were the latest victims of Ginny Gems, brightly colored bits of hard candy that Ginny had developed with the help of her brothers.Harry had once turned a bright green from unknowingly eating the sweets.

"Don't worry Malfoy, your…er…bodyguards will be back to normal in about three hours," Ron grinned evilly."That should be just in time for the Sorting Ceremony, I believe. In the mean time, here—" Ron conjured a pair of sunglasses and tossed them to Draco."That should help cut down the glare.Oh, and twenty points each from Slytherin for making my eyes hurt."

Draco made a sudden move towards Ron, but a new voice stopped him.

"Don't tell me you're causing trouble again Malfoy! Didn't I teach you a lesson yesterday?"Harry turned sideways, his wand still aimed at Malfoy, but to look at the new intruder.

**Geez, who is this guy?Superman?The first mention of trouble and he appears out of nowhere?Give me a break!**

Peter Byrne was standing behind Harry and Ron, and Harry frowned as he suddenly felt very short.Although he was now just a few inches short of six feet tall, he had to almost tilt his head back to see Peter, who was half a foot taller than he was.A tense silence filled the train as both Malfoy and Peter stared unblinking at the other, and Harry had the impression that Peter and Malfoy probably had as much hatred for each other as Harry and Malfoy had. 

_Oh, sod it! Any enemy of Malfoy's is a friend of mine.Well, almost._

"Psssst! Ginny!I sure do wish I had a whole bag full of quarters, don't you?" Amy's words broke through the silence, followed by some high-pitched giggling from Patricia.Harry looked over just in time to see Ginny's face turn its trademark bright red as she aimed a kick at Amy.

When Harry turned back to Draco, it was to find him still staring at Peter as though he was trying to decide if he could take him on.Common sense must have penetrated however, since Draco just gave everyone one long scowl and strode out, pushing the colored figures of Crabbe and Goyle in front of him with a "Come on you stupid gits!"

Ginny let out a small laugh. "You have impeccable timing, Peter."

"Thanks Ginny," Peter said, grinning."Actually I just wondered if you'd seen the Daily Prophet article this morning."

Ginny blushed again, causing Harry to grind his teeth for some reason."Yes, I did.Didn't know it would make front page, though.Oh, do you know everyone?" Ginny quickly introduced Peter to Seamus, Dean, Amy and Patricia, the latter of which giggled again as Peter greeted them.

"So your uncle's Michael Moran, then?" Seamus asked."Wow!I bet you've got one of the first Firebolts ever!"

Peter laughed in an embarrassed sort of way."Well, it has a pretty low registration number.One hundred to be exact."

"Amazing!" said Neville."Harry's got a Firebolt too! What's the number on it, Harry?"

It was Harry's turn to flush as he tried to think, wondering whether it would be too much if he said ninety-nine.Ginny took the decision from him. 

"It's one hundred twenty-seven," she said matter of factly, as though she was Hermione trying to answer the next question in Transfiguration.

**Damn it! Can't even give me a chance to lie, can she?**

_What, does she have the thing memorized?She's only been on the blasted thing once!_

"Yes, well…I just wanted to see if you knew about the article," Peter said awkwardly."I'll see you later, ok?"

"Sure!" Ginny replied, an a tone that Harry thought was a bit too friendly."Thanks a lot."

**What the hell is she thanking him for? He didn't do anything!**

"Bye Peter!" chimed in Amy and Patricia, their eyes glued to his back as he left.The conversation turned back to Quidditch as though there had been no interruptions from Neville, Malfoy, or bloody Superman Peter Byrne.

Harry returned to his seat next to Ginny, not realizing how hard he ripped into his cauldron cake until it popped out of the package and hit him on the nose.

"Careful there, Harry!"Ginny laughed, returning to the conversation with Seamus and Dean.Harry grumbled, and sat back in the seat, biting into his cake with great fervor.

**Ok, why don't we just get this all out in the open now, eh?**

_There's nothing to get out in the open!Absolutely nothing, except I'm really beginning to hate this Peter—"Hey, look I'm Superman with a Firebolt"—Byrne! _

**That's not what I'm talking about and you know it?And just for the record, I don't like him either.I was referring to our reaction to that Daily Prophet article.**

Oh, that.It's nothing really.Just a bit of surprise.

**Surprise?Seven years of waking up before the crack of dawn, got my arm de-boned in second year, fell of the damn broom in my third, got my nose broke in fifth, nearly was decapitated last year, and all I get is "boyfriend Harry Potter, who plays Seeker"?What about being the youngest Seeker in over a hundred years?What about a nearly perfect record of catching the Snitch?**

_I am NOT jealous of my girlfriend!I refuse to be so!She's deserved all the attention; she's a wonderful flyer! One of the best I've ever seen! I'm not a jealous guy!I AM NOT JEALOUS OF GINNY!_

**Fine. Ok, ok.We're not jealous.**

_Fine then._

**Fine.**

Harry snatched a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and tore them open, grabbing a bean out and biting down so hard on it in fury that his teeth gnashed together.

Ginny leaned over to whisper in his ear, sending ripples of electricity up and down his spine."Remind me to tell you something I heard about those green ones."

****

A/N: Thanks for reading!Ok, I want everyone to know that I was up until 5:30 am writing this and it is probably one of the longest, if not the longest chapter I've ever written.Apologies to Imogen for not working in her favorite saying, but I'll do that in the next chapter.Speaking of the next chapter…**grins evilly**…I'll try to have it out asap, especially since I've got some of it written already.There's a John Lennon song title floating about in here…see if you can find it.The chapter title itself is another Beatles reference.Shouldn't be to difficult.

And I updated "The Scar" last week with Chapter 7, but since the Author Alerts were down, perhaps no one knew.I say this only because I haven't received any reviews for it yet. : (Same thing with "Socks, Sex, and Soapsuds," which I co-wrote with Imogen.The story's on her author page, just click on her name under my "Favorite Authors" and then go to "Socks, Sex, and Snape."Be sure to also check out Chryslin's "Deconstructing Harry," and Ashwinder's "From Across The Great Divide," both of which are wonderful stories, and one of the reasons why this chapter took so long for me to write since they distracted me.

   [1]: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/queensofhandg



	8. Tryouts and Towels

"Harry

_A/N: Ok, this is the edited version.The Full version of this can be found in the [Gryffindor Tower][1], and I'm sure the more readable version as well, since ff.net always screws up the formatting here.Anyway, the "towel limerick" is courtesy of Imogen, who is the Queen of writing dodgy limericks.As always, I have to dedicated this to everyone on the QoHG list, who have pounded me with death-threats for not finishing this like I should have.Now they're all after me about the next chapter of "The Scar." *sighs*A Queen's job is never finished…_

Chapter Eight: Tryouts and Towels

"Miss Weasley!"Ginny's heart stopped at the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice. Her feet stopped moving as well, which caused Harry to plough into her as he was walking right behind her. The Sorting Feast was over, and the couple, along with Ron and Hermione, were making their way back to Gryffindor tower to get settled in for the evening.

"Yes, Professor?" Ginny asked, hoping she sounded politely puzzled.

"I need to see you in my office, if you please."Professor McGonagall turned abruptly and headed towards her office.

Ginny looked blankly at Harry."Wow, that's got to be a record, Gin," he whispered just loud enough so that

she could hear him, with a sort of half-smile on his face that Ginny always found boyishly charming."You've only been here for two hours, and you've already got into trouble."

She stuck out her tongue at him just before hurrying along the corridor to catch up with the professor.

"In here, Miss Weasley," said McGonagall, opening the door for her and waving her wand at a very straightbacked chair that immediately came towards Ginny.Ginny took a seat, watching the Professor conjure up a blazing fire in the fireplace.Something akin to dread wormed its way in her heart, although she knew perfectly well that she hadn't done anything

wrong, (she had a policy of waiting until after the first week of school before causing trouble), but the tiredness of the long train ride, combined with all the excitement of the previous evening, still made Ginny a bit nervous about whatever McGonagall had to say.And Professor McGonagall wasn't doing anything to alleviate her suspicions, as the woman merely stood behind her desk and looked down at her from those square spectacles at her.

Then a thought occured to her. "Uh, Professor?Is this about what happened last term?I already--"

"No, Miss Weasley, this is not about that foolish prank you pulled last year," said McGonagall sharply."You've already done your punishment for that, one of which I hope you will remember when you and Mr. Potter think about playing a trick on the Slytherins."

Ginny swallowed.She did remember her punishment, made all the worse by knowing that Harry had ended up losing his Prefect's badge over it.It was a brilliant prank, her most ingenious to date, but the guilt she felt afterwards about costing Harry his prefect badge had quickly overridden any joy she felt.Harry, of course, had been very good-humored about it, saying

that it was only a matter of time before Snape found a good enough excuse to get him removed as prefect.

"At any rate," McGongagall continued briskly, "I merely wanted to congratulate you on becoming Quidditch captain.You are quite one of the best Chasers Gryffindor has seen in years, and despite your penchant for causing trouble, I believe you will make an admirable leader."

Ginny nearly fell out of her chair.Praise from the strict Head of Gryffindor house was a rare thing indeed, for any student.

"I've taken the liberty of reserving the Quidditch pitch for Saturday morning for tryouts with Madam Hooch, if that is acceptable. You do realise that you are the first female captain the team has seen in over fifty years?"

Ginny shook her head. 

"Well, I'm sure you will do your best in attaining us the Cup again this year.After all, we do have a winning streak to keep up, something that I confess I find great pleasure in mentioning to Professor Snape as often as I can." If Ginny still wasn't in a state of shock, she would have noticed the slight smile that broke through the stern lines of McGonagall's face."Well, I'll let you go to bed.I'll see you tomorrow in Transfiguration.Good night, Miss Weasley."

Ginny sat there for a minute longer, just before slowly raising herself up from the straight-backed chair and heading for the door."Oh, and Miss Weasley?"

"Yes, Professor?"

Ginny could have sworn that McGonagall's eyes twinkled."Good luck."She nodded her thanks and left, closing the door behind her.

Out in the corridor, Ginny leaned heavily up against the dark panelled wall, in between two suits of armour which creaked as they turned their heads towards her.

"Something wrong, Miss Weasley?"Ginny nearly jumped out of her skin as the ghost of Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor tower floated through the wall next to her.

"Oh, hi Nick," Ginny said breathlessly.

"Didn't mean to startle you so, but I just heard the news from Moaning Myrtle, who'd heard it from some of the prefects in the prefect's bathroom that you'd been made Quidditch Captain.Congratulations!"Nick touched her arm in a congratulatory manner, making Ginny feel as though it had just been plunged into the lake during the coldest of winter months.

"Thanks, Nick," said Ginny, absently rubbing her arm to get the feeling back in it.

"I know you'll do an admirable job with the team; we've got our winning streak to uphold, don't you know," said Nick, adjusting the ruff around his neck a bit higher as they began to walk (although in Nick's case, floating would be more of an appropriate term) back to the common room.

Before Ginny could think of what to say, another voice broke in."Ginny! Hey Ginny!" Ginny looked up to see the figure of Colin Creevy, a light-haired, round-faced boy inher year, almost running towards him.Colin wasn't a bad sort, just a bit irritating since he happened to idolize Harry and also because he was always taking pictures of everyone (whether they wanted it or not).Annoying though Colin might be with his camera, he was about to benefit the whole of the Gryffindor house with it.Ginny smiled at the boy as she remembered the letter she had owled him earlier in the summer.

"Hi Colin!" Ginny said, stopping in front of the Fat Lady.

"I got your owl!" Colin nearly shouted in his excitement.

  
"Shhh!" hissed Ginny, looking around in the corridor."Be quiet!"Both Nearly Headless Nick and the Fat Lady were looking at them very curiously.

"I got your owl," said Colin in a much quieter voice."I did what you asked."And Colin merrily waved a piece of parchment in front of Ginny's face.

"Password?" said the Fat Lady, raising one eyebrow as she stared down at the two in a haughty fashion, as though in insult that they were whispering in front of her.

"_Mellita Domi Adsum_," said Ginny, silently thanking the fact that Ron had told her earlier.

Ginny walked inside the circular common room to total silence.She paused, looking around at all the Gryffindors, old and new who were, in turn, staring at her.Harry, who was over by the fireplace in their usual spot, stood up and began….clapping?

As though on cue, everyone else followed suit.The entire room was filled with applause, cheers, and yells, making Ginny's ears pound with the noise that surely could be heard in Hogsmeade.Colin joined in, and Ginny stared at the boy in bewilderment.

"Speech! Speech! Speech!" chanted a few third years.The rest of the house joined in the chant."Speech! Speech!"

Ok, don't panic.Seems like we are expected to give a speech.Don't panic!

_Panic!Are you kidding me?I didn't know we were supposed to do one! _

We should have remembered that.Fred and George always gave a speech as captains the first day back.Don't worry, just think of something quick.

_Uh..Friends, Gryffindors, countrymen…_

_ _

Try again.

_I have a dream, that one day…_

Nope.

_Ask not what Gryffindor can do for you, but what you can do…_

No good.

_We shall fight on the pitch, we shall fight in the air, we shall fight on our brooms; we shall never surrender._

_ _

Hurry up!

_I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat._

_ _

Can't you do better than that?

_Give me victory or give me death!_

Too melodramatic!Everyone iswaiting!

"Ok.Ok.Everyone, please!"Ginny held up her hands for silence, waiting as the cheers died down."I'm not too sure what to say, everything has gone in such a whirl these past few days.Let me just say that we've got a long road ahead of us this year.I'm going to be needing everyone's support.Come Saturday morning, I'm going to be choosing the best of you to become part of the greatest Quidditch team that Hogwarts has seen in ages."With that last bit, the cheering thankfully overrode anything else Ginny could think of to add.Someone had ignited _Filibusters Fabulous No-Heat Wet Start Fireworks_ and bottles of butterbeer were passed around.In the melee, Ginny managed to extract herself from a few overexcited first years, who all had copies of that morning's _Daily Prophet_ and were begging for autographs, and somehow was able to fight her way to Harry, who was laughing along with Ron and Hermione at the scene.

"Great speech!" said Harry, chucking as he handed her a bottle of butterbeer.

"Ginny! You forgot this!" cried Colin, brandishing the slip of parchment he still held in his hands.

  
"Knock it off, Colin!" Ron laughed, as Colin fought his way through the crowd."You borrow her potions notes every week! You don't need her autograph!"Both Harry and Ron doubled over at this, making Hermione frown deeply as she tried to restore order.Ginny kicked both boys as she grabbed the parchement from Colin, who was now blushing.Her eyes widened as she read the contents.

Harry and Ron stopped laughing immediately."What?What've you there?" asked Harry."What is it, Gin?"

"I owled Colin over the summer and asked him to spy on the Slytherins on the Hogwarts Express to see if they'd mention the lineup for their team."

"Brilliant!" said Harry, beaming at her.   
  
"Really cunning," said Ron."What's it say?"

"Well, we already knew about Crabbe and Goyle as Beaters.And of course, Malfoy's Seeker.He must have got rid of that Welsh girl from last year, because now he's got somone by the name of Bromley in as their new Chaser in addition to the two he had. And Millicent Bulstrode is the Keeper."

"Milicent Bulstrode?" asked Harry."Why her?"

"HA! That's pretty smart.She can just scare anyone that comes near her with the Quaffle away with that ugly face of hers, right?" said Ron, doubling over with laughter again.

"There's one more thing Ginny," said Colin."Malfoy said he was going to reserve the pitch every afternoon next week for practice.He said he had a special note from Snape."

"WHAT?" Ginny, Harry, and Ron almost shouted this, causing Colin to step back in fright."That bastard!" Ginny shouted, making everyone jump.

"It's true! I heard them," Colin explained hesitantly."But—I—uh…did something…."Colin blushed furiously."I…uh…well…I ran as fast as I could to Madam Hooch's office and forged your signature."Madam Hooch, the flying instructor and Quidditch referee, had an enchanted notebook outside her door, which allowed the Quidditch captains to reserved the pitch for practice during the week."I signed up for Tuesday and Thursday."

Ginny could've kissed Colin.She did kiss Colin, on both of his cheecks, much to his great embarassment."You are brilliant, Colin! Did you know that?So the Slytherins are trying to one up us are they? I don't think so, not while I've got breath in my body.That dirty scum, thinking he's going to hog the pitch for a week while he tries to trot that pitiful team of his around in the air. Oh, no he won't, not as long as I'm here—" Ginny suddenly stopped mid-tirade, once she realised that she was pacing around the hearth.She met the gazes of Ron and Harry, who both looked a bit confused and amused."Well," she ended."Saturday can't come soon enough for me."

****

Saturday did come soon enough.The week went by quickly, as she'd been so loaded down with new work to do from classes that she'd barely had time to even think of Quidditch.Saturday morning dawned bright and cheerful, and walking out to the pitch with the other Gryffindors, Ginny was suddenly reminded of the first time she'd marched out to tryout, a assortment of emotions ranging from acute nausea to gritty determination to succeed.It was funny how as she now walked out as not just Chaser, but Captain, that Ginny realised that she still felt that way.She was nervous, a bit unsure about how to go about being captain, when everyone seemed to have high expectations for her, but determined nonetheless to meet those expectations.So with the sun glinting down on the stands, causing everyone to use a _Rayban_ charm to protect their eyes from the glare, Ginny stood out on the pitch, looking at the five Gryffindors who had signed up.Dennis Creevy, Colin's little brother,two burly second years that—while they were not related to each other—could have been Hagrid's long lost sons, a fourth year girl who reminded Ginny of former Chaser Katie Bell, and a tiny third year boy, who looked as though he might pass out if Ginny so much as spoke to him.No one spoke as Ginny casually circled the group, mentally noting size, height, and the maker of the broomsticks each carried.Two Nimbus Two Thousands, one Cleansweep Five-Fifty, a Comet Five Hundred, and a Twigger One Hundred.Ginny frowned slightly as she noted the last broom.Twiggers were not known to be very reliable brooms, Kennilworthy Whisp had once said that only people with more money than sense bought Twiggers.

"My parents bought it," said the fourth year girl, who owned the broom."I know it's not the best, but beggars can't be choosers can they?"She twiddled the handle slightly, and Ginny could see how white her knuckles were.

Ginny couldn't help but smile."Ok, lets see what you have.I'm guessing you're here to be a Chaser, right?" The girl nodded."And you?" Ginny asked the small boy next to her.

"Chaser," he almost whispered.

"Hey Dennis," Ginny said to Dennis Creevy.Colin had mentioned repeatedly to Ginny that Dennis was going after Chaser.Dennis was different from his older brother, he wasn't as talktative—definitely not as annoying—and whom Ginny knew for a fact was quite good on a broomstick.Ginny turned two the last two boys…

"Please tell me you two are here as my Beaters."The two mini-Hagrids nodded eagerly."What are your names?"

"John," said the one on the right, wearing a very shaggy hair cut that made Ginny think of one of those mid-eastern gurus she'd learned about in school.

"Paul," said the other one, who had a very winning smile, despite his size.Both boys had very disguinshed accents; and Ginny had to repress a giggle for some strange reason.

"Excellent.Harry, would you give them the clubs please?"Harry, who was in charge of the equipment, handed the two their Beaters clubs.

"Ok, Dennis, you and and you—" she pointed to the third year boy, "—and you," she pointed to the girl with the Twigger."Up. Ron?" Ginny turned to see where Ron was.

"He's already up there," said Harry smiling, as he handed the Quaffle to Dennis.Ginny looked up to see that Ron had indeed taken off and was merrily circling the goal posts.

"Impatient prat," Ginny murmurred."John, Paul?You two get up there.Harry, let the Bludgers loose."

Ginny and Harry both remained grounded as they watched the sky above them.Dennis Creevy managed to score a goal, causing cheers from the rest of the house seated in the stands, and causing Ron to let out a shrill curse.Harry and Ginny both grinned.

"That third-year is fast," said Harry, watching him zoom between the two Bludgers and rocket past the other two Chasers.

"Yes, he is.But he's not working with the rest of them, see?Look at how he's just out there. He's got the build for an excellent Seeker though, see how he just pulled through those Bludgers."

"What, you're not thinking of replacing me, are you?" Harry teased.

Ginny smiled and gave his hand a squeeze."Of course not, but, this is your last year.He'd make an excellent reserve Seeker.He's only in third year at that.Definitely has some potential.Think you could teach him a thing or two?"

Harry nodded, never taking his eyes from the scene overhead."I think you're right.I could do it."

"Excellent!" said Ginny."Now about that broom the fourth year is on—"  
  
"It's not as bad as I've seen," said Harry. "Not for a Twigger.It looks pretty new, although those brooms do tend to warp under high speeds."

"She's handling it well," said Ginny."And she and Dennis seem to work together well." Ginny bit her lip in thought.

"Well, Captain?" Harry said."Do we have a team or what?"

"Yes, Seeker.I believe that we do."

****

"Harry?" Ginny called, walking down the small corridor leading to the Gryffindor locker room."Harry, are you in here?Everyone's up in the common room having a party for the new team!"They had praticed for two more hours, before Ginny had finally called things to a halt.Besides, Dennis Creevy, John Pepper, and Paul Wellington, the other new team member was Sue Maxwell, who—once she got over her shyness—became quite outspoken about the game and Ginny knew she'd found someone to connect with on the team.The tiny third year, Howard Carter, was delighted at being chosen as a reserve Seeker and Ginny found herself quite pleased with the way things had turned out on her first major decision as captain.

Scarlet and gold tile, followed by the clean smell of shampoo and soap, and the sound a tap being turned off greeted her as she walked into the locker room."Where can he be?" she muttered under her breath, looking around the abandoned room.There was no sign of Harry.Catching a small movement out of the corner of her eye, Ginny turned around.It was most unfortunate, or fortunate, depending on the point of view, that the mirror located inside the locker room bathroom was placed strategically where one could view….

Oh. My. God.

**Yeah.**

Ginny froze.The image of Harry Potter, dripping wet, in the midsts of wrapping a fluffy white cotton towel around his waist appeared in the mirror, giving Ginny a perfectly clear view of his…

**Bet you wish you had a quarter now, eh?**

_God help me._

Ginny was frozen to the spot.All she could do was stare into that mirror, watching jealously as a drop of moisture trailed down the center of his back, leaving a glistening trail in its wake, and disappeared where cotton towel met warm, smooth skin.He tucked in the corner.Ginny bit her lip and tried desperately to make her legs move.

Ok, we have to move.We have to move.He's going to see us standing here.Do you hear me?

_hmmm._

DO YOU HEAR ME?We have to move.

_ARE YOU CRAZY!?!_

Ginny stared helplessly as Harry pushed his wet black hair back off his forehead and walked over to the sink and reached for his glasses.The towel slipped a bit as he reached down to grab his razor and can of _McKormack's No Cut Shaving Cream_.

Come on, Ginny!We've got to move! What's he going to think when he turns around and sees us standing here gaping open-mouthed at him?Do the words "scarlet woman" mean anything to you?

Do the words "Harry Potter in a **TOWEL**" mean anything to you?

Pull yourself together! Get this out of your head, think of something else…something else…something else… 

Bouncing quarters? 

Not that!I'm serious!What to do in an emergency such as this….

Dear God, I know I'm a witch and all, but despite that, could you do me one favor and put some clothes on Harry Potter?Amen.

Hmmm.Nice try, but that doesn't work.Umm…rules of Quidditch!What are they? 

Um…Quidditch…Quidditch….rule number 1: A player must not stray over the boundary lines of the pitch.Rule number 2: The captain may call for "time out" by signaling to the referee.Rule number three: The referee may award penalties against a team.

**See how this is working?Now move!**

Ginny somehow made her legs move far enough to where she could lean up against the wall for support.Her entire body had ceased to exist, except for her eyes, which now had a perfect view of the sink, where Harry lathered up his face and had begun to shave.

**HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!?Not here!Now all he has to do is turn around.**

Rules of Quidditch, rules of Quidditch.Rule number 4:Under no circumstances must one player seize hold of any part of another player's ana—anatomy…anatomy.Dear God.

Harry leaned over further over the sink, as he stretched his neck upwards and ran the razor up across his chin.Ginny could feel beads of sweat form on her nose.

**Damn Kennilworthy Whisp!He stuck that bit in there on purpose!Bad idea, think of something boring…I have it! Muggle studies!The next assignment is to write a poem.You hate poetry!**

A poem…a poem…

My thoughts have turned very blue…

**Yes, good job!**

** **

I'm tempted the towel to undo,

**NO NO NO!**

Let it drop to the floor,

And ravish him more

This moment I quite well could rue.

Get control of yourse—hey, that really wasn't bad though.Nice limerick.

It wasn't, was it? Thank you. 

Ginny's breath caught in her throat as once again, the offending towel slipped down an inch, revealing a wide expanse ofbare skin.

Wouldn't this be the perfect time to practice a summoning charm?

That's uh….actually…a good idea.Oh, what am I saying!You have to get out of here!He's going to turn around any moment now…

_And who's fault is that?Honestly,anyone could just pop in here and see him in that!Has he no shame?And what happened to the whole "it's your God-given right as his girlfriend" bit, anyway?_

Spying is not included in that!Oh….._God!_

If, at that exact moment, a Hungarian Horntail had walked into the room, tap danced to the school song wearing a kimono, Ginny wouldn't have so much as blinked in that direction because at that moment, the towel slipped again, and this time…

Ginny let out a small squeak which echoed in the tiled room.Thankfully at the same time, Harry said "Whoops!" and draped the towel back around his hips.

Spot on impersonation of Scabbers there.

_What is he trying to do to me?_

Ok, you've had your fun. You've seen quite enough of Harry, I'd say.A bit more than I'm sure he wanted you to see at this stage of your relationship.NOW…GET…OUT…OF…HERE!!

It would have been the perfect escape.Harry was still blind to the fact that he had an admirer and Ginny could have left the room with no one the wiser.Would have, if it wasn't for the bench that seemingly sprung out from nowhere.

"ACK!"Ginny screamed as she fell backwards.Her teeth gnashed together as her head hit another bench and the breath was knocked from her.

"Is someone there?" came the call from inside the bathroom.Footsteps echoed closer.The telltale blush exploded onto Ginny's face and neck, and surely she was now so red that Harry would need sunglasses to look at her.

Oh, this should be fun. Couldn't we have managed to fall with a bit more grace?

"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed, obviously surprised to find her massaging her head as she slowly raised herself from the floor with as much dignity as she could muster."What happened?Are you ok?"Apparently Harry had forgotten that he was clothed in nothing but a towel.His hair was still slightly damp from the shower, and stuck out in all directions in half-dried wisps.Drops of water still clung to his chest and there was a small streak of shaving cream on his cheek.

"I'm fine, Harry," she replied shakily, staring determinedly into his eyes, and not even allowing her self to look below his neck."There's….um…there's a…" Ginny lost her train of thought as the scent of shampoo and shaving cream washed over her.

_God, he smells good._

"A party!" she exclaimed rather loudly, making both of them jump."Everyone's having a party for the new towel…I mean there's going to be a new towel for the party!"Mentally cursing her wayward tongue, Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath."There's a party for the new team," she finally got out, enunciating the words very slowly."I came to find you."

Those green eyes which Ginny had so often adored, started to sparkle in the candle light from the torches lit onthe wall behind her.A slow grin spread across Harry's face.This was the one Ginny referred to as the "lethal Harry" grin, a grin that never failed to do crazy things to her when Harry smiled in a certain way; a way that lifted up one corner ofhis mouth and showed a slight dimple in his cheek.She swallowed nervously as her insides began to somersault.Suddenly, she realized that he'd been advancing on her slowly, and she let out a small gasp as her back hit the scarlet tiled wall.

Harry stopped just inches before her, his hands flat against the wall on either side of her head.She was trapped."You seem to have me at a disadvantage," said Harry, his voice now much deeper than it was minutes before.

"How so?"Ginny squeaked, gazing longingly at the pair of lips that hovered over hers.

"Well, you're fully clothed and here I stand wearing nothing but a towel," said Harry, gesturing with one hand at his attire.Ginny didn't dare let her gaze follow his hand.

"I….I….I didn't notice," she said, noticing how her own voice had deepened.

"Really?" he said, as he leaned forward to press a light kiss to the corner of her mouth."You didn't notice?Not at all?"His words were punctuated with teasing kisses to either side of her mouth.

"No, I didn't," Ginny breathed, tilting her face up towards Harry for a deep kiss.

"I'm impressed," said Harry, chuckling deeply as he ignored her silent plea and trailed a path of kisses down her throat."I know if _you_ were wearing nothing but a towel, _I'd_ certainly notice."Warm lips traced a path up to her ear, where Ginny felt strong teeth gently graze the soft skin of her earlobe."In fact," he continued in between nibbles that set her heart racing as though it were a Firebolt, "just the thought of you in a towel…" and to prove his point, Harry pressed himself fully against her, showing her exactly how he was affected by the thought.

Ginny's mind went completely blank as her hands somehow wound their way into the slightly damp hair at the nape of his neck, bringing that incredible mouth of his back to hers.If it wasn't for the very solid wall behind her, and Harry's body holding hers in place, she'd would have collapsed at his feet the moment his lips touched hers. She was on fire, a raging inferno of sensation that began and ended with the feel of Harry's lips upon hers. She was aware of everything and of nothing at all.Through the pleasure induced haze in her head she could feel Harry's hands, no longer pressed against the wall, but now discovering all her most sensitive places.Her hands were just as busy, memorizing the texture of his skin, the waythe muscles leaped and quivered under her fingertips, leisurely wandering down his chest and around to his back, and then down further.

The towel easily slipped away, trapped between their bodies.

She could feel Harry tense against her, just before he pulled his mouth from hers, leaving her feeling empty and gasping for breath.He pulled back a bit farther, his eyes wide, the pupils dilated so that only a thin band of green remained.They gazed at each other, panting as though they had both had been running for their lives.The passion induced haze gradually faded from Ginny's mind, and she froze, not knowing what to say or do at that moment.Her hands fell back down to her sides, and clenched into fists.

Harry stepped back a bit farther, remembering just in time to secure the towel once again around his waist, never taking his eyes from her.

"_Oh God!_"Harry finally gasped, his voice breaking."That…that…," he swallowed, his adams apple bobbing with the effort. "That got out of control there.Way out of control."

All Ginny could do was nod as she fought the instinct to scream in frustration.

"Yes, well.We…uh…we'll have to finish this later.If…if you want, that is."Harry's hand shook as he nervously adjusted his glasses, which were fogged up."You, uh…do want…er…would you like to…I mean…we _can_ finish this later can't we?I don't mean like later, later…but you know…later…"

All Ginny could do was nod, despite the fact that she wasn't too sure what she was agreeing to.

"Yes, well. Yes."Harry closed his eyes, as though he too was trying to get his wits about him.Ginny could certainly sympathize, her wits had long since left her, the moment she saw him in a towel.She had no voice, and it was a sheer defiance of gravity that she was able to stand straight.She felt air, cooling against her overheated skin, and absently noted that Harry had somehow worked open the clasps of her Quidditch robes and the top row of buttons on her Quidditch sweater without her realizing it.

"Yes," he said again, opening his eyes, blinking. His face was flushed, just as Ginny knew hers was.He was still breathing hard, just as Ginny was."Yes. Well, we should be going, shouldn't we?There's a towel for the party isn't there?I mean a party for the towel."Harry squeezed his eyes shut."You know what I mean." He held out a hand, and Ginny saw how it trembled."I guess we should be going, huh?"

It was Ginny turn to swallow hard, just before she squeaked, "Uh…Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Um….don'tyou think you should…uh…get dressed?"Ginny vaguely gestured towards his current attire, the fluffy white cotton once again trying to slip from its position.

Harry looked down at himself, seeming both shocked and puzzled at finding himself in a towel."Oh yeah.Ha, ha.I'm in a towel, aren't I?I can't go like this."

Ginny nodded absently, wanting to laugh hysterically, but the lack of air in her lungs wouldn't allow it.

"Yes, I'll go and change," said Harry, not moving an inch."Will you wait for me?"

"Yes."

Harry turned to leave, clutching the edge of the towel firmly in his hands as he began to walk towards…

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I think the bathroom is that way." Ginny raised a shaking finger and pointed in the opposite direction Harry was taking.Color flooded his cheeks as he realized his mistake.

"Oh, yeah. I knew..I knew that."

_A/N: Ginny's "speeches" are actually edited versions of well known ones.They appear in order from: Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar"; Martin Luther King; John F. Kennedy; Winston Churchill; Winston Churchill; and Patrick Henry._

   [1]: http://www.gryffindortower.net/



	9. Meet The Beaters

"Ain't he sweet

**Chapter Nine: Meet the Beaters**

"Ain't he sweet?" whispered John."Sleeping just like a baby."

"Very sweet," agreed Paul, just as quietly."He's very clean, isn't he?"

"Very clean."

"Shall I wake him up? Or do you want the honours?"

"Let me do it.Wake up lad, come on!"

Harry clutched his pillow tighter to him and mumbled incoherently, oblivious to the two standing above him.John and Paul exchanged grins.

"Come on Potter! Wake up!"

"Mmm…what?" Harry, through the thick fog of sleep, managed to realise that someone was standing over him, nudging the mattress with his knee.He squinted, not able to see too much in the darkness, and especially without his glasses.Harry could barely make out a figure of a tall, burly, shaggy haired boy standing above him, wire-rimmed glasses glinting in the faint light from the window."John?What're you doing in here?"

John grinned mischievously down at Harry."Our beautiful captain sent us up here to wake your sorry bones, that's what.She's already let us sleep in a bit. It's half past six.Now come on!"

"Half past six?" Harry blinked."Oh, ok…yeah…practice.I remember.I'll be down in a minute, let me get up."

"Actually, Harry," Paul whispered, "We're supposed to—"

"—just wake you up," interrupted John.

"Ok…" yawned Harry."I'll be down…" And Harry snuggled back under the covers and went back to sleep, ignoring the slight sniggering from above him.

"Hey John, you know Ginny said to make sure that Harry and Ron both woke up…we were supposed to stay until we saw them actually get out of bed," whispered Paul as the two Beaters exited the dormitory.

"Tee hee!" giggled John."What's the fun in that?Besides, she'll get him up, much better than we could."

****

"YOU HAVE EXACTLY THREE MINUTES TO GET YOUR ARSES DOWN ON THE PITCH!!!!"

The furious screech snatched Harry from the sound sleep he'd managed to fall back into.He looked up just in time to see Ginny rip the bed curtains back so forcefully that the curtain rod threatened to snap in two.Ginny glared down at him, brown eyes bright with malice, her hair flying wildly around her face as though it was angry at him too.Harry heard muffled noises from the rest of the room's occupants as they were awakened by the booming voice.

"Huh?" Harry asked tentatively."Pitch?"These were probably not the right questions to ask, Harry thought, as Ginny only got angrier.

"Yes, Harry," she said in a deceivingly quiet tone."The pitch.As in Quidditch pitch.As in the sport.AS IN THE FACT THAT WE PLAY SLYTHERIN IN TWO WEEKS AND STILL AREN'T IN TOP FORM!NOW GET UP!"

Harry winced as he realised why he was being awakened in such an ungodly fashion.It had been like this for over a month.Ginny had insisted on practicing every day, sometimes even twice a day.And when they weren't practicing on the pitch, she was in her little nook in the common room, planning new moves, surrounded by little diagrams of the players and prodding them with her wand.She was slowly becoming a woman possessed, and Harry was tired of it.Tired of the five am wake up calls to practice, tired of the long sessions of flying, tired of not being able to talk to Ginny about anything other than Quidditch plays.He missed the old Ginny Weasley.This new one…well…it was like having Oliver Wood as a girlfriend.It was worse than having Oliver Wood as a girlfriend.

He fumbled around on the bedside table for his glasses and put them on, staring into the furious face of his Quidditch captain."I thought you said we could sleep in a bit this morning, Gin," he yawned, stretching as he threw back the covers.Cold air hit his bare legs, and he shivered slightly, forgetting the fact that he slept clad only in underwear.He looked up, hoping Ginny would notice, hoping he'd see her blush like she used to, like when she saw him in the towel.He couldn't help but grin slightly at the memory of that day.

Brown eyes narrowed, hands on her hips, Ginny stared down at him, reminding him of Professor McGonagall."I did.And you did.It's nearly a quarter to seven, and we've been waiting for FIFTEEN MINUTES!Now come on!"Harry kept his face passive, trying to pretend that he couldn't see Ron—who was standing behind her—making very rude gestures at his sister.

"Hey!There's a girl in here!" cried Dean Thomas, who was extremely slow to wake up, and just had noticed Ginny's presence."You're not supposed to be in here, Ginny.This is a boy's dormitory."

"Oh, please!" retorted Ginny, whirling around to face Dean."Like you have anything in here to see," she replied scathingly, looking Dean up and down.She whirled back around to face Harry and Ron, both trying to hide their sniggers behind their hands and not succeeding."You two—be down in two minutes!"

Harry, still trying to contain his amusement, watched her storm out, hair flying madly around her.He heaved a great sigh when he saw her walk through the doorway, which quickly turned into a sputter as she twirled around, her brow furrowing as though she was confused about something.

"Why on earth are you wearing tartan boxer shorts?You aren't Scottish."

Harry's jaw dropped as her words penetrated.

_God, she is so magnificent when she's angry._

**Yes, she is.Thank God she didn't notice how _awake we were.Talk about getting up in the morning._**

_I'm just thankful that Oliver Wood never had this effect on us._

****

The sun was bright for this fall morning, and Harry had to reinforce his _Ray Ban_ charm several times already.The air was crisp, the breeze was light, and Harry was able to wake up pretty quickly after getting up in the air.He wasn't the fastest Seeker Hogwarts had seen in a hundred years for nothing.Ginny had cast both him and Ron furious looks for delaying practice, but didn't say anything more to them about that.That was one of the thing's Harry loved about her--while she had the infamous Weasley temper, her tantrums were short lived.So Harry, thankful that he wouldn't have to do any serious apologising to talk Ginny out of being annoyed at him, was in a cheerful mood.

"Need to keep your head down a bit, Howard," Harry advised, watching the reserve Seeker."You're making it too easy for a Bludger to knock your head off."Harry tried not to laugh at the expression of complete horror on Howard's face, which suddenly went very pale.True to his word, Harry had been working with Howard at practice, making Howard shadow him.Howard was a pretty good flier, but had no self confidence, reminding Harry of Neville Longbottom in their earlier years at Hogwarts. 

"Have you ever been hit by one?" Howard asked Harry.

"Once or twice," Harry lied, not wanting to scare the poor boy away.

"But Seekers are supposed to be the ones that get hurt most," Howard said, his voice rising in panic."I read that in _Quidditch Through the Ages."_

Silently damning Kennilworthy Whisp, Harry immediately changed the subject."Yes, well…you handle this broom pretty well, but you've got to learn something about Comet Five-Hundreds:they become a bit unsteady in a steep glide. Follow me and I'll show you what I'm talking about."Howard nodded eagerly, and Harry took off, weaving through the rest of the players in a steep glide towards the opposite goal post.Howard followed, and although his broom was no match in speed for Harry's Firebolt, Howard wasn't far behind him.

"Now pull up!" shouted Harry, sharply pulling out of the dive with ease.He turned around to watch Howard, noting how the Comet started to shake a bit."See what I mean?" he asked when Howard was once again, floating beside him."You've got to learn how to compensate for that.When it starts to shake, lean forward more, which should help distribute the weight better.You can't catch the Snitch if you're trying hold onto your broom for dear life, understand?"Howard nodded, hanging on Harry's every word. "Good then. Why don't you practice that a bit, ok?" And Howard began to practice diving down and pulling up rapidly, like Harry had showed him, adjusting his weight as he did so which kept his broom much steadier.

Harry watched his protégé for a bit longer, noting with pride that Howard had enough potential to become another great Seeker.Well, not as good as _he was, Harry thought with a slight smile, but pretty decent nonetheless._

When Harry grew tired of monitoring Howard's progress, he turned his gaze over to the other side of the pitch, where Ginny was in the middle of dodging both Bludgers, rolling over so that she was flying upside down, and neatly passed the Quaffle to Sue, who attempted to score.Ron, however, wasn't having any of that, and lunged for the ball, catching it just before it went through the goal.Sue cursed violently, Ginny laughed, and Ron merely stuck out his tongue.Harry chuckled wryly, watching as Ginny and Sue stopped long enough to discuss the play.Harry's hawk-like gaze couldn't help but notice how Sue tried to stifle a yawn behind her hand, while Dennis circled lazily around them, as though he were trying to stay awake.John and Paul, holding the practice Bludgers that didn't move unless told to, were now leaning up against a goal posts, and even from Harry's distance, he could see their eyelids drooping.It was time to say something, Harry thought, just before he sped over to Ginny.

"So you have to keep the Keeper far enough away from the—"

  
"Gin?Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Ginny smiled her old Ginny smile, just before her eyes darted from Harry to Howard, still practicing his dives."Is something wrong?How's Howard doing?"

"He's fine.Can you come over here for a sec though?"

"Sure.Let's all take a break."At Ginny's words, everyone seemed to perk up a bit, and immediately sank down until they were on the grass.Harry led Ginny over to the equipment shed, grimacing slightly as he saw—for the first time—how tired she appeared.Dark circles were under her eyes; their rich brown colour now seemed dull.

"Ginny," he began, "You've got to give us a break.Look at them!" He cupped her chin and turned it towards the team, who were now lolling around on the grass."Look at yourself!We're all dead tired; you've got to let us all rest a bit or we won't be worth a damn against the Slytherins."

Ginny pursed her lips, regarding him through narrowed eyes."We'll be fine! And if everyone would go to bed at a decent hour like I said—"

"That's not it!Ginny, you've got us at it twice a day, and we've been all good sports about it.We want this cup as bad as you do, but you've got to give us a chance to rest.Running us into the bloody ground isn't helping."

Ginny straightened her shoulders, "I---I---" she began hotly, and then swallowed, taking a deep breath.She glanced over at the team, biting her lip as she often did when she was in deep thought."Maybe you're right," she conceded at last."We all could use a bre—What's that?"

Harry whirled around just in time to see a bright flash of light appear from behind a tree near the pitch.They both started towards the direction, when a small figure darted from the hiding place and headed towards the castle.

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_

"_Expelliarmus!"_

The figure froze, having been hit with the full body bind curse first and toppled face down on the ground, sending up a small torrent of leaves and branches.An object flew from his hands, and landed with a bounce.Both exchanged startled glances, then took off at a dead run.

Harry reached the figure first.Ginny wasn't too far behind him, and the thundering footsteps behind hers told Harry that the rest of the team had caught on.

"What's happened?"  
  


"Who is that?"

Ron looked over at Harry."There's only one way to find out."And Ron roughly kicked over the body, revealing…

"Who the hell is that?"

Harry looked down into a brown haired pug faced boy, his spotty skin now covered in dirt and leaves, with bits of branches sticking out from his hair.His eyes were very narrow, and very mean looking.He looked slightly familiar, although Harry was sure they'd never met.Whomever it was, Harry was sure he was in Slytherin, that much was obvious, just relying on his looks alone.And no other house would dare spy on them.He turned to offer this theory to Ginny, but stopped when he spotted the highly amused look she was now giving him.

"What?" he asked, puzzled at this reaction, especially when Ron was giving him the same look."What is it?"At his words, the siblings both burst into laughter.

"You sure like using _Expelliarmus, don't you?" gasped Ginny."What is it with you and that spell, anyway?"_

Harry frowned."Well, that's got me out of some serious jams before, I'll tell you," he said, feeling rather stupid all of a sudden.He did seem to use the disarming spell quite a bit, but really…he'd had good reason.And even though it was quite plain that the object the boy had was a camera, Harry hadn't known it at the time.

"Ok, knock it off you two," Harry gritted out through clenched teeth, as the rest of the team joined in the laughter.

"Who is he?" asked Ginny, quieting down a bit."Anyone know him?"

"That's Millicent Bullstrode's younger brother, Bernard," said Howard."He's a fifth year."

"Oh yeah," said Ron, smirking down at the boy."I recognise that wretched pug nose now.What shall we do?Besides me taking about fifty points from Slytherin, I mean," he added with a sly grin.

"_Finite Incantem," said Ginny, and Harry watched Bernard unfreeze immediately. Bernard cast Ginny a furious glare._

"And now that Harry--" Ginny chuckled--"has…erm…disarmed you, want to explain yourself?"

"Not really," mumbled Bernard."I was just taking pictures, no harm done."

"Pull the other one, Bernard.Big sister sent you to spy on us, didn't she?" Ron asked, fingering his wand as though in hopes that Bernard would give him an excuse to use it.

"I'm not saying a word, and you know if you try anything Weasley, I'll make sure you lose that shiny prefect badge like Potter here did," spat Bernard.Harry, at the reminder of that incident, immediately pulled out his own wand. 

"Ok Bernard," Ginny sighed, "We'll play it your way."Harry watched as Ginny suddenly dropped down on her knees next to the boy, leaned close to him, and whispered something that Harry couldn't hear.Whatever it was, however, made Bernard's entire face turn a bright pink and Harry, in amusement, watched the boy's narrow eyes go round in horror.He leaned closer in, to see if he could pick up a word or two.

"Now you be sure and tell Draco I said exactly that, ok?" Ginny finished, dusting off her Quidditch robes as she rose.Bernard's jaw dropped, then he quickly shut it.He started up at her for a moment, surprise still evident in his eyes, then jumped up and quickly darted off.

"And that's fifty points from Slytherin!" called Ron, causing everyone to chuckle.

"What did you say?" Harry demanded, turning to Ginny.

Ginny, still occupied with brushing every blade of grass from her robes, didn't look up as she casually replied, "Oh, nothing much.Just told him to give Draco a message from me that's all."Finally finished with her task, she met his gaze, and Harry noted the slight flush to her cheeks. " Ithink we've all had enough practice for today, what do you think?"Everyone nodded eagerly, and Harry had to laugh when John and Paul started skipping back to the locker rooms, while Sue, Dennis, and Howard ran as fast as they could back to the castle.Ron and Harry exchanged grins.

"I'm going to go see what sort of trouble the Head Girl has got into," Ron said, smiling devilishly."A prefect's life is never through," he sighed dramatically, just before dashing off as well, leavingHarry and Ginny alone.

Harry immediately gathered her in his arms and did the one thing he'd been dying to do all day.

"Mmmm….that's nice," Ginny whispered just after she'd managed to catch her breath.Harry drew her even closer, kissing the tip of her nose, loving the feel of her against him.

"I missed you."

"Missed me?"

"Yeah."Harry kissed the slight frown from her lips."I've hardly seen you a t'all this past month except when you're in the air."

Ginny drew back, biting her lip."Well, we've got to practice Harry!" she said quickly as though in defense."I'd thought you of all people would understand—"

"I know, I know, Gin.But we're miles ahead of the competition, you know that."

"No, we aren't!" she cried, wringing her hands."Haven't you heard John and Paul talk about the new Beater that Hufflepuff has?His name is Richard Starkey and he replaced Stuart Sutterfield, who had to leave because of an injury.And Peter said that the other one, George Perkins is really fast for a Beater.Ernie McMillian has really outdone himself with the team, they've got a tight offence—"

Harry, trying his best to ignore the mention of Peter, silenced her words with a finger."Can you do me one favour? Just one?"

Ginny nodded.

"It's now—" he looked at his watch—"noon.Can you just not mention Quidditch or anything that has to do with the sport for the rest of the day?Just until midnight tonight.Could you do that for me? Please?"

Harry stared down into her dark eyes, which perfectly showed the inward struggle she was going through.It hurt, it really did, to see that Ginny was weighing Quidditch—the sport that was such a deep part of his own life—against himself.

At last she nodded, and relief washed over him, overriding any irritation that he had felt.Then she suddenly smiled, the one that never failed to make Harry's heart skip a beat.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

A/N:Ok, I've stopped counting the number of Beatles references that got in this chapter.See if you can spot them all.I'll figure them all out and post them at the end of the next chapter and on the QoHG list—there's also a cookie up for this story there, if you are interested.Thanks for reading. : )


	10. Better Than The Snitch

Ok, Ginny 

Chapter Ten: Better than the Snitch 

Ok, Ginny. Get your ass in gear. You've written exactly…let's see…one..two…two words. Two words. Two words in three hours. 

I know! I'm trying! 

No you're not. Two words! T-W-O! You've got to get this turned in first thing tomorrow morning and even though you've had this assignment for the past week, you only started on it three hours ago. 

I was sick for three days! Then I had Quidditch practice, then I had to do my History of Magic essay… 

Then you had to meet up with Harry in that cosy little spot off the Ravenclaw corridor. 

He was showing me his new Seeker strategy! 

Uh huh. It's amazing how that boy can `discuss' things with his tongue half-way down your— 

Don't you dare finish that thought! Honestly! 

Ginny looked up from the two words she had been staring at for the past forty-five minutes and glanced around the table, just to make sure no one had figured out how to read her mind. Ron was building a house out of an exploding Snap pack, and Ginny furtively scooted her things back from the cards when she noticed that they were wobbling, a sure sign that the whole thing was going to go into flames at any moment. She watched her brother bite his lip in concentration, wondering how long it would take for his eyebrows to grow back this time. 

A movement from Ron's right caught Ginny's attention and she turned to stare in amazement that anyone could make a quill write that fast. Hermione was hunched over her own studies, and her quill was flying so fast that Ginny could barely see the thing. Ginny glanced at her own quill, still clutched in her left hand, with a bit of ink dripping down from the nib onto the parchment, which made a small splatter as a giant black blot formed. Ginny sighed angrily as she scrunched up the now ruined parchment and lobbed it over Hermione's head straight into the fire. 

"How's that essay coming along?" Hermione asked. 

"Fine," Ginny lied. "I'm nearly done." 

Of course Hermione, being Hermione, had to actually look around Ron's house of cards (which miraculously had not exploded as of yet) and check to see for herself if Ginny was telling the truth or not. 

"Doesn't look like you've written much to me," Hermione said, quirking a brow at her. 

"Can't you tell when something's written in invisible ink?" Ginny exclaimed. "Are you a witch or not?" 

As to why Hermione, Ron and Harry suddenly burst out laughing was beyond Ginny. She shrugged, then caught Harry's emerald gaze and flushed a bit as he winked at her. Ginny turned back to her own homework and read the assignment that she had hastily scrawled on her notebook. 

Describe, using examples, the ways that Mandrake Leaves can be harmful to certain types of Sleeping Draughts if not correctly used. Two rolls of parchment to be handed in by next Friday morning because Snape is a slimy haired git who is only doing this because he's got the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain in his class and he knows that Gryffindor is going to wipe the pitch with his pitiful team the day afterwards. 

Snape sucks, Slytherin sucks, we get the point. Now start writing the blasted thing! 

I don't know what to write! Who cares about any of this, anyway? 

Ginny grabbed her quill and wrote down the same two words. 

Yes, lovely start. Make those letters big enough and you could have one word for each page. 

** 

Another hour later, Ginny managed to surprise herself by having a complete sentence, one that took up nearly two inches of paper. 

See? That's better. Now just write about ninety of those. 

I need a break! I'm so tired! 

Holding Quidditch practices twice a day for a month will do that to you. Not to mention all the hours you spent planning strategies. Your grades have dropped considerably, and you know that Hermione will find out pretty damn fast if you don't bring them up. 

Yeah, I know. Hermione is worse than McGonagall, Percy, and mum combined. But I'm only trying to make a name for myself, you know that. I mean really, it's hard being the last in line out of seven kids! Bill was the first Head Boy, Charlie was the first Quidditch Captain, Percy's the first to become a high-ranking official in the Ministry, Fred and George are going to be the first ones to own their own business— 

You've helped them. Some of your ideas are great. 

That's not the point! Ron and I are at the end of the line here, and we've not got much to work with! He's even got that chess thing, so that's something unique…what's one thing that I have that makes me stand out from the rest of the Weasleys? 

A nice pair of boobs? 

Besides that! 

So, what is the plan exactly? 

You read that Daily Prophet article! I've got a shot at turning pro! 

Pro? As in professional? As in doing this for a living? You do realise that you only joined the Quidditch team in the first place was so you'd get a certain guy to notice you, or did you forget that? 

I know! But who knew I'd turn out to be a "world class Chaser?" 

Stop quoting that article! I know what it said! 

"Ginny Weasley! You've barely written a word!" Ginny was so startled that she knocked over her pot of ink, which—of course—completely poured out over the bit she had written. 

"Damn!" 

Ginny snatched up the parchment and quickly performed an erasing spell. It worked. Too well as now her parchment was once again blank. Completely blank. 

"Oh—" and Ginny said something that caused more than one head in the room to turn her way. She felt herself blush slightly as she realised what she'd said. 

Hermione gaped at her for a moment then let loose. "You are worse than Ron! That is due tomorrow and you've only written two inches worth!" she shrieked. 

"I know that, Hermione," Ginny replied scathingly, still upset over her ruined work. "Thank you for the update." 

"This is serious! The marks you get in your classes aren't up to your usual standards—" 

"How do you know that?" 

Hermione bit her lip. "Hermione, how do you know that?" 

Hermione paused for a second. "I was talking to Professor McGonagall, and she mentioned that your class performance seems to be slipping, and she asked me to keep an eye on you—" 

Ginny was absolutely furious. "You're spying on me!" 

"Not spying!" Hermione hastily interjected. "We are worried about you! You know you won't do well on the NEWTs if your marks don't pick up and you've been so busy with all this Quidditch nonsense—" 

"Nonsense!" Ginny felt as though she'd been slapped. "Nonsense? Why you—" 

"Look Hermione," Ron interrupted impatiently. "Ginny's been working hard to get us ready, and so what if her marks have dropped a bit? We're going to wipe the pitch with the Slytherins!" Ginny shot her brother a grin. Trust Ron to come through for her. 

"Ron! I want us to win as much as you do, but Ginny's grades—" 

"Are really none of your business, Hermione," Ginny finished coldly. The two girls glared at each other for a moment. Tired of having Hermione stand over her like her mother, Ginny got up from her bench and began to pack up her things, jamming them roughly into her bag. 

"I'm going to finish this upstairs." Pain shot through her hand as she cut herself on the stiff edge of the parchment. 

"I don't know what's got into you this past year, Ginny," Hermione said at last. "First you try to pull that prank—" 

"Oh yes, like we haven't discussed this before." Ginny was now furious. Of all the times for Hermione to bring that up. 

"A lot of people could have got hurt, Ginny!" 

"Hermione," Harry began, his tone very quiet. "We've already been over this thousands of times, so just leave it ok?" 

"You lost your prefect badge over this, Harry!" Hermione wailed, rounding on Harry. "How can you take her side in this?" 

"Harry wouldn't have got involved in that if someone hadn't squealed—" Ginny was so angry she was literally shaking. Hot angry tears threatened to escape, and she had to blink them back quickly. She'd be damned if she'd cry over this again. 

"Hermione just did her duty, Ginny," Ron said. "You know that." 

Ginny took a deep breath, ready to tell her brother just where Hermione could take her duty, just as Harry—who probably deduced her intentions—gently took her arm, grabbed her bag, and led her across the room. 

"Come on, it's not worth it," he whispered in her ear. 

"I'm just so tired of her throwing it in my face, Harry, I really am!" Ginny fumed, as they walked to the dormitory stairs. "I didn't know it was going to turn out like that! I didn't mean to get you involved in this—" 

"You didn't, Ginny," Harry said in comfort as he drew her to him. "I'm a big boy and knew exactly what I was doing." 

"I'm really sorry, Harry—" Harry put a finger to her lips, eyes narrowing. 

"I don't want to hear you say that again, you hear me?" Ginny nodded, then smiled as he gently chucked her under the chin and hugged her tightly to him. She stood there, her head resting on his shoulder, feeling the scratchy wool of his jumper beneath her cheek, letting the warmth radiating from Harry sink into her bones, giving her newfound strength. 

She took a deep breath, inhaling his clean scent as some of the tension building up in her faded away. "I should go work on that essay for Snape." 

She felt Harry nuzzle the top of her head with his chin. "Want me to see if I can dig up my old essay? I think I have it somewhere, although I'm sure I got a zero on it." 

"No, I think I can make a zero on my own, thank you," she giggled, raising up to give him a teasing kiss. Her face grew serious for a moment. "I love you." 

She watched his eyes flare, then grow darker. "I love you too." With one last kiss, Ginny went upstairs. 

**** 

Ginny frowned down at the green mass of leaves she was supposed to be cutting into thin, even strips, to add to the sleeping draught. Hermione was right about her class performance slipping a bit, she thought as she added three slices of the leaves to the coffee coloured potion and watched it fizz, then turn a lilac colour. And despite having Snape as a teacher, Potions was normally one of her best classes. She supposed it was because she liked the thrill of danger involved in potions—one tiny slip, one ingredient too much or too few, and total chaos could ensue. She even tolerated Snape on most occasions, at least before she was Quidditch captain. She'd learned from her first year that if you don't cause any undue attention to yourself and try fade into the background, he'd leave you alone. It hadn't been easy, especially when burdened with the Weasley hair and genes, but six years of patience and hard work had almost paid off. Snape never paid her any attention in class as her work merited average marks, and she never answered a question unless directly asked. It also helped that she'd always had Potions with the Hufflepuffs, who also knew how to best to handle Snape. 

"Miss Weasley! Are you paying attention?" 

Ginny nearly jumped out of her skin. Startled, she accidentally dropped the vial of armadillo bile, from which she had been just about to add one and a quarter drops, into the cauldron. The liquid turned a shocking shade of pink, and clouds of blue smoke began to cascade down the sides. Thinking quickly, she grabbed her dust of wormwood, knowing that it would be the only way to neutralize the armadillo bile and possibly save the concoction, but before she could uncork the top of the bottle, the unthinkable happened— 

"Melted, Miss Weasley! You have successfully managed to melt your cauldron," sneered Snape, as his thin shadow loomed over the mess. "Tut, tut, tut. Not what we'd expect from a world class Chaser and Quidditch captain, is it?" And this what had been going on since the start of the term for Ginny. Snape, once seemingly oblivious to her, was now constantly on her case about something and took great pleasure in quoting from the Daily Prophet article whenever he could, in the most nastiest tone of voice he could muster. 

"Well," he barked, his black eyes flashing in the dim light of the dungeons, "What are you waiting for? Use that wormwood and neutralize this mess then clean it up!" 

Ginny, who had almost been frozen in shock, snapped out of her trance, and eased down from the chair she'd jumped onto, to get away from the spill. She quickly unstoppered the bottle and sprinkled the contents out over the ruined potion, watching it turn back to the soft lilac colour. 

"And the reason that I'd been calling you, Miss Weasley, was that you've not turned in your essay," Snape continued as he watched her clean up. "You did do it, of course?" 

"Yes, sir. It's right—damn!" Her bag was now soaked from the spilled sleeping draught, and the two rolls of parchment were now completely drenched. 

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your language!" snarled Snape. "I want that recopied and on my desk by the end of the day!" he added, gesturing to the dripping parchment Ginny held up by the corners. He started to turn away, but stopped, ran a hand through his greasy black hair and suddenly gave an evil sort of grin. "And you're going to have to serve detention for not paying attention as well. Be back here this evening, at seven twenty seven." 

Ginny didn't trust herself to say anything. She merely dropped the essay onto the table, where it landed with a wet splash, and bent down to mop up. 

I can't even think of anything bad enough to call that son of a bitch. 

He's doing this on purpose! He knows we've got the match tomorrow and he's trying to throw us off! Bet you he's been planning this from the start! 

Probably so. Ok, let's not get worked up over this. We've served detention with Snape before. This isn't any different— 

Except he'll probably have us doing the most foulest job he can think of, and something that will take hours to complete! It's the perfect way to sabotage the match—get the captain so tired from detention that she won't be able to see straight the next day. Why is everyone against us now? 

Because you're the captain. You're the head of the team. Everyone looks up to you. Crush the captain and you've crushed the team! Well it's not going to work, d'you hear? It won't work! 

This has been one hell of a day, hasn't it? 

Don't say that, this is only the first class. 

**** 

"You haven't had a very good day, have you?" Amy asked as the sixth year girls walked up the common room stairs to put their things up for the day. 

No, it hadn't been a good day at all. After the disastrous Potions, Ginny had to face Transfiguration, where the assignment was to turn their desks into Irish Wolfhounds. Hers turned into a Chihuahua, a sickly rat-like dog that shook uncontrollably and bit her as she tried to scoop it up and hand it to a very frowning, very stern looking McGonagall. 

"Yeah," replied Ginny miserably, throwing her bag—still reeking of sleeping draught—on top of her trunk. 

"Well at least you got that essay turned in," said Patricia, coming to plop down onto the bed next to hers. "Although you know you could've copied one of ours." 

Ginny smiled wearily at her friend. "Thanks, but Snape would've probably found a way to accuse me of cheating and God knows what he'd would've done then. As it is, I have detention." 

"Think we should give it to her now?" asked Amy, casting a meaningful look to Patricia, who nodded eagerly. "She deserves it." 

"Give me what?" 

"This." Amy went to her trunk and took out a elongated box and handed it to Ginny. "We had it made for you, as sort of a good luck charm." 

Curious, Ginny gingerly opened the box. Inside was some sort of small silver medallion, strung with a matching chain. There was a silhouette of a man with hair pulled back, and small lettering around it. The word Liberty at the top with the date 1992 at the bottom. Turning it over she saw an eagle with its wings spread with E Pluribus Unum written above its head. 

"What is this?" 

"It's a quarter," explained Amy. Ginny looked up to see both of her friends looking very pleased with themselves. 

"Amy thought you'd like to have one," Patricia said. "We had it made up into a chain so you could wear it." 

"American Muggles seem to believe that pennies have some sort of luck, so I figured that these quarters would as well. They're bigger, and you can bounce them—" 

"This is a quarter!" Ginny interrupted, very shocked to be holding such a strange object. 

"Yeah," Amy said. "You like it? It might be sort of silly, but we thought you could use some good luck—especially after today." 

"It's wonderful," laughed Ginny for the first time that day as she ran a fingertip over the edge. "And this is money? How weird! I love it!" 

"Now you'll always have something handy, you know," Amy winked suggestively as Ginny gave her a hug. "Just in case." 

Patricia giggled, "Yeah, although I have no idea why you'd want to use it on Harry, especially when there's—" 

"Don't you say it!" 

Amy and Patricia just grinned. 

**** 

Back and forth. Back and forth. Dip sponge. Wring out. Back and forth. Back and forth. 

Ginny paused for a second to look at her reflection in the cream marble floor of the Trophy room. Sweat beads covered her nose, her damp hair had once again managed to escape her braid, and her clothes were soaked from the splashing. Soap bubbles floated around her like fairies. 

Back and forth. Back and forth. Dip sponge. Wring out. 

The soft splash-splash of a sponge being dipped into a pail of sudsy water and the wet plop of the soaked sponge being slapped down onto hard marble echoed throughout the chamber. Snape, being Snape, of course had found the perfect way to assign a detention and make sure that the Gryffindor Quidditch captain would be as tired and sore as possible the day before she faces his house team. Scrubbing the marble floor of the Trophy room, on her hands and knees, with no magic, was the most perfect way to see that happen. She'd been at the task for hours now; she'd lost count of the times the real cuckoo bird in the grandfather clock in the outside corridor had called out the hours. Her arms felt as though she'd been wrestling with a blast-ended skrewt, her muscles were screaming out in agony with each movement, and Ginny was now mindlessly working. 

"Ah! I see Weasley has finally learned her proper place—on her knees at my feet," Ginny was so lost in her task that she hadn't been aware of someone approaching. 

I'm too tired to deal with him tonight; can you think of a proper retort? 

How about fu— 

Perhaps not. 

Ginny never looked up, never stopped her motions, although she did make an effort to splash as much water as she could on his perfectly polished shoes and immaculate robes. 

"Watch it Weasley! These robes cost more than your dad makes in a year!" Draco snarled, then laughed. "Although you could have them if you do ruin them…be much better than those rags you're wearing now." A high pitched feminine chuckle accompanied this comment—that of Pansy Parkinson. 

You'd think after six years he could come up with something better than that. 

Draco is too stupid. 

"What's a-matter Ginny? Potter not here to do your dirty work?" Pansy said, placing her foot down right in the middle of the spot Ginny was scrubbing. "We all know about how good he is at bailing you out of trouble." 

He should take lessons from Pansy. 

Wanna comment on this? 

Yeah, fuc— 

Oh, you can think it but I can't? 

"Yeah, Weasley, why is golden boy not sniffing around your skirts? Or has he grown tired of being in little girlfriend's shadow, with that nice little write-up from the Daily Prophet? And just when I thought no one could have an ego bigger than Potter's…" 

He learns quick. 

Keep scrubbing, keep scrubbing. Don't listen to him. 

"Potter must not pay you enough that you're having to earn a bit extra on the side," Pansy said very loudly, making sure her voice would echo in the marble chamber. 

Keep scrubbing, keep scrubbing. 

Back and forth. Back and forth. 

"Not going to speak, eh? Well, you won't feel like talking tomorrow either, not after we end up rubbing you and your team into the ground—AHHHHHH!" 

The shocked wail snapped Ginny's head up, just in time for her to cover herself as Peeves rushed in through a wall, swooped down over Draco and Pansy, and grabbed Ginny's bucket of water and tossed the contents onto the Slytherins. 

"You're all wet! That's what you get!" sang Peeves in his scratchy, high pitched voice. 

Ginny roared with laughter as Peeves began to chase Pansy and Draco, and doubled over in a fit of hysterics when Draco slipped on the wet flooring and fell, dragging a screeching Pansy down with him. 

Score one for Peeves the pilfering poltergeist! 

**** 

"Very good Miss Weasley," said Snape as he surveyed her work. "You may leave now." 

Ginny barely could stand, let alone pretend that scrubbing the Trophy Room had no more effect on her than taking a nap. She ached in places she never knew she had, the muscles of her arms had seized up, making it nearly impossible for her to move them, her back felt as though she'd spent a year hunched over, and her head was throbbing. But Ginny just nodded and got as far away from Snape as her aching legs could carry her. 

Finally the stairs to Gryffindor tower were in sight, and Ginny nearly wept with a mixture of relief that her nightmarish day was over, and agony that she now had to conjure up enough strength to ascend the hundred steps that lead to the common room. 

"Hey! What the hell happened to you? Amy said you had detention! What did that bastard make you do? What—why are you looking at me like that?" Harry appeared at her side so quickly that Ginny could've sworn he'd Apparated there, although that wasn't possible as anyone who knew Hermione knew that one could not Apparate into Hogwarts. Ginny moaned softly as Harry clutched her to him in a hug that nearly had her screaming in pain, his hold was so tight. 

"What did you say?" 

Ginny managed to pull back far enough so she could actually breathe. "I said," she panted weakly, "I'm tired." 

"You look like hell," Harry said, probably just noticing that she was drenched in soapy water, dirt, and sweat. 

"Thanks a bunch. You'd not look much better scrubbing the floor of the Trophy room on your hands and knees either." 

"What is it with you Weasleys and that Trophy room," Harry grinned, just before wrenching another squeal out of Ginny as he swooped her up in his arms and began to carry her up the stairs. 

"Harry!" 

"Don't worry, you're not that heavy. I've carried heavier things than you." 

"What?!" 

"Just kidding." 

"You'll be of no use to me tomorrow at the match if you hurt yourself!" 

"That's my girl, always putting Quidditch before my health," Harry teased, just before kissing her on the nose. 

Ginny would have pointed out that she wasn't really teasing, but Peeves swept through the floor and stopped right in front of them, hovering in mid air. 

"Hello Peeves," said Ginny, smiling as she pictured the very drenched Draco and Pansy falling. 

Peeves merely stuck out his tongue at her, and began to sing at the top of his voice: 

"The Gryffindor captain's a witch,Attractive in robes of Quidditch.That let a boob or twoJust heave into viewFar better to catch than the Snitch." 

"Peeves!" Ginny roared, trying to squirm from Harry's grasp as he burst out in startled laughter. Peeves merely blew a raspberry and dodged out of the way. 

"Stop laughing!" Ginny furiously ordered to a red faced Harry, trying to swat at Peeves despite the fact that it would be useless. "Stop it now!" 

"Sorry, Gin," he gasped, "But it's true. You are better to catch than the Snitch." 

Ginny blushed and tried her best to look angry. How could one argue with the best Seeker in Hogwarts history? 

A/N: So what exactly happened during the prank last year--and what was Harry's involvement in it?  Will Ginny be recover in time for the Quidditch match?  Why is Draco such a stupid git? This chapter is for Gwenn and Pretty Anna Moon who both are incredible artists, and made me actually drool over a picture of a fictional character draped in nothing but a towel. Peeve's limerick appears courtesy of Imogen, who still is pretty kewl even though she did eat all my Chocolate Frogs. : P Thanks to Sue and Anne for their assistance in this as well. I can't wait to meet you guys in…checks calendar…19 days! 

Document created with wvWare/wvWare version 0.6.7 -->


	11. Gryffindor vs Slytherin

A/N: Not that I've been very much in canon with this story at any rate, but I am borrowing some of the imagery from the movie, especially with the opening scene and the Quidditch outfits. I would also like to thank the person in charge of wardrobe for the Warner Bros. movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for making such wonderful outfits and for putting Sean Biggerstaff in them. tune to "Mrs Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkle plays gently in background   
  
~~~~~~~~~~   
  
   
  
"You're not nervous are you?"    
  
   
  
"Nah. I'm fine." Ginny smiled reassuringly at Harry as they walked down the corridor that led to the Quidditch pitch. Ginny had been absently fingering the quarter she had around her neck and quickly tucked it back inside her sweater before Harry could notice it. She looked on her other side, where Sue was walking very stiffly, and Ginny couldn't help but notice that she was clutching her broomstick so tightly that her knuckles were threatening to burst through the leather gloves.   
  
   
  
Ginny had slept very well the previous night, surprisingly so, especially after all she'd been through with Snape's detention. She had expected to be a bundle of nerves this morning, and it was clear from the looks that Harry and Ron had both given her that morning at breakfast that they'd expected the same from her. It was true that her arms were a bit sore, but once Harry had carried her up to the common room and proceeded to give her a massage…Ginny shook herself slightly, glad the darkness hid whatever shade of pink her cheeks were turning, and brought her attention back to Sue.    
  
   
  
"Sue? You ok?"    
  
   
  
Sue blinked rapidly and started, as though she wasn't aware of her surroundings. "Oh! Oh…I'm…I'm fine. Nothing to worry about here. I'm ok. Yep. I'm just fine."   
  
   
  
Ginny tried to bite back a grin. "First match nerves are the worst. Just clear your mind. You'll do great."   
  
   
  
Ginny was in an excellent mood for the day. She had woken up early and had taken a long walk around the pitch, getting her mind focused on the task ahead. When she had entered the Great Hall to make sure the rest of the team was up for breakfast, she had received a nice round of applause from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuffs. Ginny had waved politely and smiled, but before she could get to the Gryffindor table…   
  
   
  
"Hey Ginny!" Peter had called out, getting up from the Ravenclaw table.   
  
   
  
"Peter!" Ginny had returned his smile. "How are you?" she'd asked automatically.   
  
   
  
"Great! I wanted to wish you good luck today," he'd said, his blue eyes twinkling. "Not that you'll need it. We've not had much time to chat with our schedules and practices."   
  
   
  
It was true, although they had one class together, it was nearly impossible for them to exchange more than a few pleasantries.    
  
   
  
"Oh, and don't be nervous about Mr Whisp and Mr Bagman—they're just here to observe."   
  
   
  
"What?"   
  
   
  
Peter had frowned. "You didn't hear? I thought you would have received an owl…my uncle told me."   
  
   
  
"Told you what?"   
  
   
  
"You know that book Mr Whisp mentioned he was writing? Well, he's coming to the match today to do some research." Peter had beamed at her.    
  
   
  
Ginny had vaguely remembered that Kennilworthy Whisp had mentioned something about writing a book on some of the best Quidditch players under twenty-one, that evening she'd flown the Firebolt Chaser. "Wow," she'd said slowly. "That's…that's…that's just cool."   
  
   
  
Peter had nodded excitedly. "And Ludo Bagman is a scout for the Wimborne Wasps, so this is a major thing! They'll be attending all the games here at Hogwarts!"   
  
   
  
That had been simply too much to take in at the moment. Ginny had looked from Peter's shining face to where the rest of the team had been sitting—John and Paul had been talking to some girls Ginny didn't know, Ron and Harry had been bent over their breakfast plates, using their bacon and toast to do some last minute game plays, and Sue and Dennis had been barely eating at all. Should she tell them the news? Harry and Ron would no doubt be just as excited as she and Peter had been, but as for the rest…perhaps it would be best if she kept the news to herself for a while.   
  
   
  
"That's really great, Peter!" Ginny had turned back to Peter. "Look, I've got to go get this lot ready for the game—talk to you later?"    
  
   
  
"You bet!" Peter had grinned back. "But leave something for the rest of us to play with, will you? You Gryffindors shouldn't have to have all the fun, after all."   
  
   
  
Ginny had laughed at the joke, knowing perfectly well that both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff hated the Slytherins as much as the Gryffindors did, and wanted to see them lose just as badly. She had rounded up the team and herded them out to the pitch, just to get a feel for the conditions they'd be playing in.   
  
   
  
If she had sent an order by owl, she couldn't have ordered a morning as fine as the one facing her. The sun was bright, but a few clouds in the sky kept it from being too bright. The mid-November morning air was crisp, and the cold, hard ground ensured a good swift kickoff.    
  
   
  
Just as the crowd of spectators were making their way to the pitch, Ginny had hurried the team into the Gryffindor locker rooms. Her pre-match pep talk had been short and sweet. She'd been most nervous about what to say, how to put into words how much she wanted to win today, to tell her teammates that all the early morning and evening practices, all the sacrifices they'd made—it would be worth it in the end. Ginny had stared out over the six faces in that locker room, and only three words had popped into her head.   
  
   
  
"Let's do it!"   
  
   
  
Oddly enough, it seemed to have had more of an effect than anything else. Ron had let out a loud whoop, and had soon been joined  by the rest. John and Paul had banged their broomsticks together, practically bursting with energy. Dennis had seemed to not know whether to join in the excitement or be very sick, as his complexion changed back and forth between a sickly green and a bright red. Sue had been strangely silent. Harry—well, he'd been Harry and had looked like he wanted nothing more than to be up in the air with the wind in his hair and the Snitch in sight. Ginny had known how he felt; she she'd wanted nothing more than to be on her broom dodging Bludgers and Slytherins, her only thought in the world centered on getting the Quaffle through one of the three goal posts.   
  
   
  
And now, facing the wooden doors that lead to the pitch, Ginny couldn't keep from smiling—the taste of a victory strong on her tongue. The roars from the crowd were getting louder—Ginny shot Harry one last grin, knowing the twinkle in his green eyes was reflected in her own brown ones. He held out his Firebolt and Ginny crossed it with her own Nimbus Two Thousand One.    
  
   
  
And the whistle of Madam Hooch sounded. The doors opened. And they were off.   
  
   
  
"And here are the Gryffindors! Potter, Weasley, Maxwell, Wellington, Pepper, Creevy, and Ginny Weasley as Captain. With her boyfriend and brother on the team, it's no surprise how she landed that job." Boos from the Gryffindors and sniggers from the Slytherins followed this announcement. Nigel Roache was the new commentator, much to the anger of most everyone except for those in Slytherin—Nigel's house. Ginny had time to mentally steel herself towards Nigel; she knew the Slytherins would be a bit nasty especially after all the years Lee Jordan was commentator. She was expecting the worst and knew Nigel could dish it out.   
  
   
  
"Now, now, Nigel," said Snape smoothly. Snape, as head of the commentator's house, had the job of watching over the commentator. This meant Nigel could get away with murder.   
  
   
  
"The Slytherin team enters the field as well, and I must say this is the best team ever. Captain Draco Malfoy has done wonders with the team. Crabbe and Goyle are the Beaters, Montague, Snoad and Grubbs are the Chasers, and the lovely Millicent Bulstrode is Keeper."   
  
   
  
"Lovely, eh?" Ginny heard John whisper to Paul. "Wonder what he's comparing her with?"   
  
   
  
"Well, they are Slytherins," Paul replied, chucking. "Perhaps they have different standards of beauty?"   
  
   
  
"Well, I have heard some say Malfoy was handsome…"   
  
   
  
Both Sue and Ginny made very loud gagging noises.    
  
   
  
"Sorry, Ladies—guess you didn't need to hear that right before we start playing, did you?" John apologized, not looking the least bit sorry.    
  
   
  
Finally they'd reached the center of the pitch, where Madam Hooch was standing, her hawk-like eyes sizing up each team.   
  
   
  
"Captains!" Madam Hooch, the referee called, blowing her whistle again. Ginny stopped directly in front of Draco Malfoy. The two teams sized each other up for a moment, Ginny noticing the new team members—including Keeper Millicent Bulstrode whose Quidditch robes covered her like a green circus tent.    
  
   
  
"Weasley," Malfoy sneered.   
  
   
  
"Malfoy," Ginny said just as icily.   
  
   
  
"Both of you, shake hands," ordered Madam Hooch.    
  
   
  
****   
  
   
  
Harry watched closely as Malfoy and Ginny extend their right hands. He wasn't putting anything past these scumbags. Normally the Gryffindor and Slytherin captains would engage each other in a little arm wrestling, or at the very least try to break each others' fingers, and Harry was prepared to do something before Malfoy could get a good grip on Ginny—anything to cause a distraction.   
  
   
  
They were both engaged in a glaring contest, Malfoy's pale blue eyes narrowed so much that they were barely slits in his face as he shoved his hand out for Ginny to take, almost as though he were being forced to do so. Ginny, her bright brown eyes practically sparking with hatred, reached out. Harry held his breath as Malfoy's pale fingers close about her own and started squeezing. HARD.   
  
   
  
"Ahhhhh!"   
  
   
  
Harry stepped forward to break the contact, just as Malfoy jerked away, shaking his hand violently as though he'd touched something hot.   
  
   
  
"She had something in her hand!" Malfoy shouted to Madam Hooch. Harry peered over at Ginny, who was looking politely puzzled as she held up her leather-gloved hand for Madam Hooch to see.    
  
   
  
There was nothing in it.   
  
   
  
"Ok, teams! Mount your brooms!"   
  
   
  
Madam Hooch released the balls.   
  
   
  
"And the Quaffle is quickly taken by Sue Maxwell, who seems to be flying a..a..Twigger? Let's hope she can stay on the thing long enough to see her team lose…" And with this comment, Harry quickly knew that Nigel was going to be at his nastiest.   
  
   
  
Harry flew up and hovered just above the center of the pitch, where he could get the best view of the action below and keep a close eye for the Snitch.   
  
   
  
The Quaffle was still in possession by Gryffindor—Dennis was passing it down to Ginny, who rolled over mid-air to duck a Bludger and caught the pass at the same moment.    
  
   
  
"And Gryffindor is in possession, Weasley goes for the score….yes! She missed! Keeper Bulstrode makes the block!"    
  
   
  
"Well of course she made the block," said John as he flew by Harry, knocking a Bludger towards Malfoy. "That whale practically covers all three goals at once anyway!"   
  
   
  
Harry chuckled at this observation. Looking at Millicent Bulstrode—who was very solid, if not fat, it was hard not to wonder how her Comet 500 didn't break in two with her weight. But then, she fit in quite well with the rest of the Slytherin team, minus Malfoy, who was starting to resemble a ferret in more ways than one with his pointed nose and slicked back hair.  Harry glanced over at Malfoy, who was on the opposite side of the pitch, just hovering above the Gryffindor goal posts.    
  
   
  
"Slytherin has the Quaffle, Montague passes to Grubbs—oh! He's been hit by a Bludger from the Gryffindor Beater Pepper. Quaffle is taken up by Creevey—brother of the Harry Potter Fan club president Colin—"   
  
   
  
More boos from the Gryffindors drowned out the rest of Nigel's sentence.   
  
   
  
"Now Weasley has the Quaffle—HA! But she drops it after our Grubbs innocently smashes into her."   
  
   
  
"Oh, that wasn't very good was it, Potter? Maybe you both should spend time practicing on the field, rather than inside broomsheds." Malfoy was now a few feet from him, watching the match with a lazy eye. Harry ignored this comment for the moment, intent on watching for the Snitch and trying to keep a close look out on the match below. The Slytherins were showing very early in the game that they would be playing the dirtiest game ever.    
  
   
  
"No fair Ref!" Nigel hollered, making everyone in the stands cover their ears from the sudden blast of sound. "Weasley was in his way, it's her fault!" Madam Hooch had, of course, called a foul against the Slytherins.   
  
   
  
Ginny took the penalty shot, getting it past Bulstrode. "And Weasley scores easily, but that's no surprise there. I'm sure Potter can tell some stories…"   
  
   
  
Pretending to see the Snitch, Harry dove straight for the commentator's box in a burst of speed, coming so close to Nigel that the magical megaphone was nearly blown out of his hands. Harry grinned slyly.    
  
   
  
****  
  
The match had barely been on for forty-five minutes, and it was all Ginny could do to keep on her broomstick. This game was not going as she had planned. Having played Slytherin twice in her life, and having seen them play for six years, she thought she knew every trick they could pull. The Quidditch Final from last year had been the nastiest the Slytherin team ever been , but she'd expected that. They were pretty pissed off at her, especially after that prank she'd pulled on them. But they've just proven that they're going for new means of cheating, and Ginny thought—just before ducking another Bludger aimed her way—that there could be an easy chance of all seven hundred fouls being committed in this game. She expected to be attacked with an axe at any moment.   
  
   
  
She caught the Quaffle from Sue, wincing as she saw Sue get hit by a Bludger just after the ball was thrown. She began the extra burst of speed that was to begin the Porskoff Ploy, which fooled the opposing Chasers into thinking she's trying to score. Sue and Denis were both in throwing range. Ginny gave Denis a quick glance, and threw the Quaffle to Sue.   
  
   
  
"Ooooh!"   
  
   
  
****   
  
   
  
Harry heard the scream, even from the opposite side of the pitch. He'd been giving Malfoy the run-around, making him think he'd been after the Snitch. Harry turned in time to see Ginny get pelted by both Bludgers, one aimed at her head, the other at her stomach. She was doubled over on her broomstick, and even from that distance Harry could see her fingers were barely holding onto the broom.   
  
   
  
"That's enough!" cried Madam Hooch angrily as she began blowing her whistle to get everyone's attention. "Time out! Penalty to Gryffindor."  
  
   
  
Harry was so angry he could barely see straight. He hadn't missed the sly looks passed between Crabbe and Goyle and knew that they'd tried to injure Ginny on purpose. Before he'd known what he was about, he found himself heading straight towards Goyle, who resembled a troll perched on a twig so ridiculous did he seem on his broomstick. Harry sped towards Goyle.   
  
   
  
"Potter!" yelled Madam Hooch, breaking through the thick haze of hatred in his head. "Time out has been called! Get down to your team this instant!"    
  
   
  
By the time Harry had headed to the Gryffindor Time-out area, Ginny and the rest of the team were already on the ground. Ginny was walking back and forth, and although her walk was a bit wobbly, she didn't seem to be hurt much at all, despite being just hit with not one but two Bludgers. Harry let his eyes roam over her, trying to find any sort of marks on her head where the Bludger might have hit her, but didn't see anything. She was yelling fit to kill, and Harry looked over the rest of his teammates to see how many, if any, of them were hurt. No one  seemed to have anything more than the usual set of cuts and bruises that came from playing the game. Each one was gaping at Ginny as though she'd suddenly sprouted another head, and Harry curiously turned his attention back to her.   
  
   
  
Then he actually heard what Ginny was saying. His jaw dropped.    
  
   
  
Being close friends with the Weasleys, and an honorary one at that, made Harry suspect to quite a few outbursts in his lifetime. He'd even seen Ginny, who out of the lot was the most even-tempered, throw a tantrum or two. But he'd never seen anything like this.    
  
   
  
She was practically screaming at the top of her lungs—screaming things Harry was not sure he'd ever heard before, and certainly not in that context. He felt his ears redden as she called one of the Slytherin Chasers something Harry had only read about in those books Fred and George had stashed under their beds at the Burrow. To his surprise, Ron seemed non- plussed about his youngest sister's use of language, but Denis and Sue looked sort of frightened. Paul and John both appeared as though they were going to laugh, but obviously felt that it wasn't the time for humor.   
  
   
  
"Uh, Ginny?" John asked tentatively during a short pause. Ginny glared at him, as though he dared to interrupt her while she was in mid-tirade. "Did you call time out because you wanted to tell us something or did you just want an audience?"   
  
   
  
"Good show though it's been," Paul added, clapping softly.    
  
   
  
Harry cringed and waited for the next explosion but all he heard was a short burst of laughter.   
  
   
  
"You're right, " Ginny said, chuckling, her eyes now twinkling merrily. "I think I just wanted to get that out. Ok, let's get back up there," she added, noticing that Madam Hooch was coming over to hurry them up. "We're fifty points ahead."   
  
   
  
"Aren't you going to finish?" Paul asked, elbowing John with a coinspirational wink. "I wanted to hear about how Crabbe and Goyle have no—"   
  
   
  
"Yeah, and I especially enjoyed you likening Malfoy to a—"    
  
   
  
"You're too young to be using that sort of language, John," Ginny scolded as she mounted her broom. "It's not decent, especially in front of ladies."   
  
   
  
"She's got to be kidding," Paul murmured in wide-eyed amazement. Harry grinned, making a mental note to ask Ginny where on earth she'd picked up such a colorful vocabulary.   
  
   
  
Back in the air, Harry found himself more determined than ever to get the Snitch and concentrated solely on that objective, blocking out all noise around him. Looking for Malfoy, Harry noticed him still chuckling with Crabbe and Goyle, apparently too stupid to use the time out to look for the Snitch unhindered. Harry zoomed to the opposite end of the field, high above the Gryffindor goal posts, putting the sun behind him so that he could see more clearly. And then there—just dodging between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw stands was the miniscule glint of gold. Urging his Firebolt faster and faster, Harry zipped in between the players, green eyes fully focused on the Snitch, silently pleading for the gold ball to move just a few more feet so that it was within the pitch boundaries. A loud, harsh gasp from the crowd told Harry that they had seen the Snitch as well. And yes!—the Snitch flew inside the white boundary line, and Harry, extending his arm out as far as it would go, launched into a dive, and with a triumphant smile he felt the tiny wings tickling the palm of his hand.   
  
   
  
"I'VE GOT THE SNITCH!" Harry roared, holding up his arm, expecting to hear the cheering that normally followed.   
  
   
  
There was almost complete silence. Harry stopped dead in the air, just over the Hufflepuff stands. No one had even seen him catch the Snitch. He noticed a few Hufflepuffs pointing down at the center of the pitch, their faces pale with shock. A feeling of dread washed over Harry as he turned.   
  
   
  
Down on the ground, gathered in a small circle was the Gryffindor team, with Madam Hooch rushing in between them, and kneeling down. The small circle parted just enough that Harry could make out a figure lying on the grass. A redheaded figure.   
  
   
  
Ginny had fallen off her broom.   
  
****  
  
A/N: Yeah, so I'm being really mean and leaving a cliff hanger.  Hopefully this will make me want to write more.  Thanks to both DragonFire and Rich for their invaluable help and plot bunnies, and especially for at getting me interested in writing again. Big hugs to Anne for helping me with all those passive voice errors. 


	12. You Never Give Me Your Money

Chapter Twelve: You Never Give Me Your Money

_A/N: FF.net and MS Word never get along, so I would suggest to reading this on GryffindorTower.net for the full correct formated version.  Nothing against ff.net, but the bold and italics never work right on here. __J___

Through the thick haze of pain that flowed like a river through her body, Ginny could hear voices coming from somewhere above her, sounding as though the speakers were in a cavern.

"Don't worry, lad.  She'll be fine.  Why I remember the time when the Wasps were playing against the Kestrels and Martin Fitzgerald—he was one of the Beaters for them—ploughed me with his bat so hard that I was out cold for two weeks!" 

"Yeah Harry.  Besides, she _is_ a Weasley after all.  We're known for our hard heads, as both mum and Hermione often remind me."

"Shhh! Don't talk so loud, Ron.  I think she's waking up."

"Ginny?"

This last question was whispered softly in her ear.  Ginny slightly turned her head, moaning as pain lashed through her head with the effort.  After the third attempt, she was able to open her eyes just a crack to see Harry's pale face etched with concern, just inches from her own.

"What happened?" Ginny rasped out weakly, not too sure where she was or indeed why she was there.  Didn't she have something important to do?  Something _very_ important. 

"THE MATCH!" she roared suddenly, shooting up from the bed and making Harry jump back in alarm. Cold waves of nausea washed over Ginny, nearly making the blinding pain in her head disappear.  "Oh no! How bad did they—"

"We won! We won! We won!"  Ginny blinked in surprise and clutched her head at the raised voices.  Not only was Harry and Ron there, but so was the rest of the team, and standing just behind John was Ludo Bagman and Kennilworthy Whisp.

"But—oh—how? What happened?" Ginny asked, her mind quickly replaying the last few moments she could remember of the match.  She remembered getting hit in the side by one of the Slytherin Chasers as they grabbed the Quaffle from her, watching the same Chaser score, then she remembered feeling very light headed…

"You fell Ginny," Denis explained.  "I thought you were dead!  You've been out cold for hours!"

"You were hurt," Ron said, suddenly launching into his "big brother" mode.  "One of those Bludgers nearly ripped your head off!  Why didn't you tell us you were bleeding, we would've at least—"

"I was bleeding?"

"Yes," Harry said very calmly.  "Very badly.  Didn't you feel all the blood?  You were practically drenched in it."

Ginny waved her hand in annoyance, wanting to bring the topic back 'round to what was important.  "But how did we win?" she asked again.

"Harry caught the Snitch of course!"  Ludo Bagman swaggered forward with a great laugh that made Ginny's head pound.  "And what a great catch it was, right Ken?"  

Kennilworthy Whisp nodded.  "Yes, Ludo a great game all around.  One of the best I've seen at Hogwarts.  Great game, Miss Weasley." He beamed at Ginny.

Then Madam Pomfrey bustled in to check on Ginny and proceeded to drive her visitors from the room.  Bagman and Whisp both promised that they'd speak to her before they left Hogwarts.  

"I'm going to go talk the Head-Girl into letting us have a party," Ron winked at her, giving her a hug before Madam Pomfrey chivied him out with the rest of the team.  

Ginny managed not to squirm while Madam Pomfrey examined her injury.  "The swelling's gone down," she said as she replaced the bandage around Ginny's head.  "It looked worse than it actually was.  Head injuries tend to bleed a lot, but I don't see any serious damage or trauma."  Madam Pomfrey then began to gently press Ginny's stomach, where the second Bludger had hit her.  The area felt sore, and Ginny was stiff all over from her fall, but there wasn't much damage there either.  "You are one lucky girl, I'll give you that," the healer clucked.  "Ludo Bagman has been hit one too many times with a Bludger himself, why on earth he didn't put a stop to this I'll never know.  He's the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports for Merlin's sake!"  

Ginny wondered that herself, along with why he and Kennilworthy Whisp were even in the hospital wing.

 "Potter, what are you still doing here?"  Madam Pomfrey stopped fussing just long enough to blast the question.

Ginny looked up, surprised to see Harry hadn't budged from the chair on the other side of the bed.  "Just waiting for the verdict," he replied quietly, his eyes roving over Ginny, his face still a bit pale.  

"Well, she'll heal nicely but I do want her to have plenty of rest and relaxation.  Understand?"  Ginny and Harry both nodded.

Although she was quite touched that Harry had stayed, she wondered if there was more to it than he was letting on.  Head injury or not, Ginny hadn't missed the strange looks that passed between her teammates.  Something was wrong.

****

"To Gryffindor!" Ron shouted, holding up his mug of _Butterbeer Sport_—the newest flavour of Butterbeer, perfect for those after-Quidditch parties.  

"To Gryffindor!" And cheers erupted in the common room accompanied by the loud clanking of mugs as all the Gryffindors toasted to their victory.

"I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the team and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition!"  John sniggered, dancing around like a loon.  

The party was in full Gryffindor swing.    Even though every slight movement and noise sounded like a cannon blast to Ginny, she enjoyed herself immensely.  Harry however, seemed sort of…upset about something.  He wasn't as cheerful as he normally was after a match.  He didn't laugh very much when Paul tripped Neville—who landed directly in Patricia's lap, spilling his drink all over the both of them.  Patricia seemed as embarrassed as Neville was, and both stammered at each other for about five minutes before they noticed that they were the center of attention of everyone in the common room.

They were sitting on the sofa, Harry's arm wrapped around her, her head resting on his shoulder.  Ginny was just about to ask Harry if he wanted to go somewhere to talk when Ron made the toast, which just caused more cheers and good-natured yelling.

"The cup will be ours!" Ron shouted, his ears a bit red from too much drink.  "Just think Ginny, there'll be a little plaque with the name 'Ginny Estelle Weasley' inscribed in fancy gold letters."

The common room went dead silent.

"Estelle?" Seamus Finnigan asked, barely getting the word out before falling back in his chair in a fit of laughter.  

Ginny felt the heat creep up her cheeks.  "Estelle?" chuckled Harry next to her, raising an eyebrow in question.

"I was named after our grandmother," Ginny bit out through gritted teeth.  "It's my grandmother's name!" she said a bit louder to the rest of the room.  "Thanks a bunch Ronald FRANCIS," Ginny sneered at her brother, making sure the "Francis" bit was carefully pronounced so no one would miss it.  

Ron went just as red as she was.  "Francis?" Harry gasped, holding onto a stitch in his side.  "Who were you named after, your other grandmother?"

Ron glared at Harry.  "Shut it, Potter!"

The party went on for another two hours before Hermione finally called an end to it—just after Lavander Brown was starting to take off her shirt.  Quick cleaning spells took care of most of the mess, and finally Ginny and Harry were left alone.

"What's got into you Harry?" she finally asked.  "You don't seem to be very happy about the match at all."

 "I don't like seeing you get hurt," he said simply, staring into the brightly burning fire.

"Well, I don't much like getting hurt to be honest," she replied half-jokingly.  "But that's not all that's on your mind."  Ginny cupped his cheek with her hand and made him face her.  "Come on Potter, you're not fooling me.  Spit it out."

Harry bit his lip, and Ginny could almost see the cogs turning in his head, pondering what to tell her.

"This was a nasty game, Ginny.  The Slytherins weren't playing fair, not that they ever do, but this time they went overboard.  You could have been seriously hurt Ginny—and—" Harry's voice trailed off.  

"Harry, I'm fine," Ginny said soothingly, stroking his arm in comfort.  "You know Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have let me out of her sight if I was really hurt—"   

"It's your broom."

"Huh?"

Harry took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.  "Your broom.  We were all so worried about you that no one thought about getting it until much later.  Sue found it."

Ginny didn't know what to say.  She gawked at Harry, letting his words sink in.  Her broomstick.   Her first broomstick.  The Nimbus Two Thousand and One that her brothers had managed to buy for her, using the money they'd saved from selling the Wheezes.  Her thoughts went back to the day she'd first held it, when Fred, George, and Ron plopped the shiny new broom into her hands and nervously explained that they'd bought it for her.  She could well imagine what had happened to her broomstick, what the Slytherins were capable of doing to it, but she needed to hear it for some morbid reason.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice flat.  

"Dunno.  Sue said she found it laying on the ground, broken into pieces. No one saw anything, but of course we know who's responsible."

"Slytherin."

"Yeah.  I'm so sorry, Ginny."  He softly kissed her forehead, and hugged her closer.  It seemed silly, crying over a broomstick, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing.  

"Hey, come on," Harry said after a bit, chucking her on the chin to meet his gaze.  A teasing light appeared in his eyes, as he teased, "I might even let you ride my Firebolt again, and you know I just don't let _anyone_ do that."

****

"Ginny! There you are!"  Ludo Bagman was puffing towards Ginny, his face red with exertion, and his breath coming out in great gasps that turned white in the frigid evening air.  "I've been looking all over for you, but Harry said you'd gone out for a walk.  How're you feeling?"

Oh, just peachy keen after falling fifty feet from the air!  How the hell do you think I feel?

_Not to mention I'm completely broomless you big stupid, fat git!_

"Oh, I'm ok, thanks," Ginny said, wanting nothing more than to be left alone.  She'd woken up that morning feeling very sore and with a splitting headache, but nothing hurt worse than the heavy feeling in her heart over the loss of her broom.  Before they had retired the previous evening, she had insisted that Harry show her what was left of her Nimbus.  Harry had reluctantly handed her a small bag and with trembling hands she'd opened it.  Out onto the table came her beloved broomstick, in pieces ranging from the size of very small toothpicks to much larger chunks of wood.  

"Heard about your broomstick," Bagman said as he patted her shoulder.  "It's a terrible shame.  Really terrible."

**Yeah, it is!  Now leave me alone!**

"Yeah," replied Ginny.

"I wanted to congratulate you on your win again.  Great game it was.  One of the best I've seen in years.  You're going to go far one of these days, I bet you anything."  Bagman smiled brightly, and patted her on her back, causing Ginny's head to pound even harder.  

"Thanks, Mr Bagman, really, but I—"  _--would really like it if you left me the hell alone!_

Bagman's eyes darted furtively around the area they were in, then interrupted her in a very hushed tone, "The way those Slytherins played was a disgrace to the game of Quidditch.  But you can beat them Ginny, I know you can."  He grinned in a strange way and leaned close to Ginny.  "Which is why I'm offering to help you,  what d'you say, eh?"

"What do you mean, Mr Bagman?"  

Help me!  Ha! Like we need help from an over-the-hill Beater who can barely manage to keep his broomstick standing up?  The man can hardly string two sentences together!

Bagman leaned in closer. "Well, I have connections you see.  Connections that might just get you something you need." Bagman's eyes gleamed brightly, his expression changing to that of pure excitement.  "How'd you like to have a Firebolt?  For absolutely next to nothing!  Why I bet you have enough saved from those jokes you and your brothers sell to buy one!"

_He's lost his mind! I don't have even an eighth saved up of what it would cost for a Firebolt!_

"What? There's no way.  I know what a Firebolt costs, Mr Bagman, and it's most certainly not—"

"You just have to know where to look, Ginny," Bagman explained.  "Now, I know a few people who owe me a few favours you see, so all I'll need from you is the down payment."

I don't like the sound of that.

"Down payment?  Look, Mr Bagman, it's really nice of you to offer to help me, but—"

Bagman held up a hand to interrupt her.  "Now Ginny, at least think on it a bit before you refuse.  I'm offering  you a chance of a lifetime, a real honest-to-Merlin _Firebolt_, and right now you're nothing without a good broom.  Just think on it, ok?  Two hundred galleons is all I'm asking, and half of that I'll need up front."

"One hundred galleons!"  Ginny was shocked.  Yeah, she knew that a Firebolt would sell in the stores for three hundred times that amount, but still—she barely had fifty galleons saved up.

"You know you couldn't pay that for a twig in the stores," Bagman protested sharply, his large stomach puffing out as though she was accusing him.  "You should know what they go for at Quality Quidditch Supplies." Bagman glanced at his watch.  "I've got to run, Ginny.  Just promise you'll think on it, ok Ginny?"  It could have been the fading light, but Ginny could've sworn there was almost a desperate look in Bagman's eyes. "I'll send you an owl in three days for your decision and I'll need the money by next week." 

Ginny bit her lip, thinking fast.  "Ok, I'll give you an answer in three days.  Thanks, Mr Bagman."

Bagman nodded and held his hand out for her to shake.  "You won't regret this Ginny, I promise you.  Now before I leave," he said once they had grasped palms, "I'd love to know what you did to that Slytherin captain when you two shook hands yesterday."

Ginny laughed as she pictured Malfoy's pained look when the two Quidditch captains had shaken hands.  "Oh that, that was nothing but a few porcupine quills embedded in my glove," she laughed.  

Bagman let out a great chortle, his belly shaking with glee.  "Great idea!  You're going to be great by the time you get to the big leagues.  I've been known to pull a stunt like that myself, only when necessary." His expression changed again, returning to the almost panicked look he'd worn just a few minutes ago.  "Well, I've got to be off, but I'll be expecting your owl."  And with a very hasty wave, Bagman jogged off towards Hogsmeade.

Ginny watched him leave, then turned and made her way back towards the castle, her growling stomach telling her it was time for dinner.

One week.  Ok, so how in the name of all that is Quidditch are we going to get one hundred galleons in just seven days?  

_I have a plan._

A very famous plan, I'm sure.

_Shut it, you!  I've got about thirty galleons saved up from the sale of "Ginny Gems."  _****

Which leaves seventy left to come up with.  

Exactly.  And I do own shares of Fred and George's joke shop, which I could sell back. ARE YOU CRAZY?  That joke shop promises to be very successful, you can't just give up stock in something like that!  

Well, what other suggestion do you have?  Do you know of anyone who just so happens to have seventy galleons sitting around?

As a matter of fact, you know Harry… 

_Harry does** not **get involved in this!  _

I suppose you're right.  It's probably best he doesn't know about this at all.  He doesn't like Ludo Bagman at all.  
  


And with this decision firmly in place, Ginny went inside to dinner.

****

"Where have you been?" Ron asked as she sat down across from him, taking in her flushed cheeks and slight shivers as the warmth of the Great Hall chased away the lingering cold of the November air.  

"You shouldn't be outside in that cold air you know,"  Harry scolded, sounding just a bit like her mother.  "How're you feeling?"

Ginny cast a reassuring smile at the pair.  "I'm fine."

"You missed Kennilworthy Whisp," Ron said, pointing his fork at her.  "He interviewed all the Quidditch players at Hogwarts."

"I did?  Oh no!"  Ginny buried her head in her hands.

"He just left an hour ago," confirmed Harry, patting her back in consolation.  "He asked us about you though."

"Yeah, I said you were a tyrant, but you weren't pretty bad for a first-timer and a sister," Ron grinned.  

Ginny turned her head so she could stick her tongue out at him. "Thanks big brother."  She forked a pea, making a mental note to ask Dobby why the house-elves insisted on serving the foul vegetable, and threw it a Ron, who blocked it with a slice of bread.

"Oh, and when asked why he became a Beater, John cooked up some yarn about a man on a flaming pie telling him he should be a Beater," Ron said, ducking as another onslaught of peas went over his head.

"We need to sit down tonight and look at the latest issues of _Which Broomstick_," Harry said quickly to diffuse the situation before Ginny could throw a spoonful of the Monkberry Moon Delight they had for pudding.

"I heard the Germans have come up with a new racing broom…"  Ron said through a mouthful of potato.

"Cranberry sauce?"  John asked Ginny as he and Paul, along with two other boys, joined them at the table.   Ginny looked at the new boys.  One was not much taller than she was with a rather large nose and very dark hair.  Several rings adorned his fingers, including one with a tremendous stone.  The other boy had a very unusual haircut and a set of crooked teeth that did nothing to diminish from his handsome face.  The crests on their robes told Ginny that they were Hufflepuffs.

"Oh, this is Carl Perkins and Richard Starkey, Beaters for Hufflepuff."  Paul introduced the two boys to Ginny, who had to repress the inexplicable urge to scream and faint as she took in the site of the four Beaters together.

"What do you call that hairstyle you're wearing?" Ron asked Carl, gesturing to the mop of long dark hair.

"Arthur," Carl replied.  This time Ginny did giggle at the confused expression on her brother's face.

Of course it didn't take long for the topic to turn back 'round to Quidditch and the best broomsticks available.  With each broomstick mentioned, Ginny grew more and more depressed, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to afford them even if they were used.

What do you expect from someone dressed in robes with enough holes to fill the Albert Hall?

_I HATE being poor!_

It was a bit comforting to see from the expression on Ron's face that he was thinking the exact same thing.

**** 

"So which one did you like?"  Harry asked later as they were sitting in their special nook with copies of _Which Broomstick_ scattered about on the sofa and floor.

Ginny screwed up her face.  "They're all great, although I know I'm just going to have to see what's at the Used Quidditch Supplies and what's there," she said glumly.

At least with those brooms you'd know what you'd be paying for instead of trusting some crackpot.

_But this is a REAL Firebolt!!_

Hmmpf.

Harry fidgeted slightly as he shot her a look from the corner of his eye.  "I..uh..actually…I was hoping you'd let me pay for whatever one you wanted."

"What? No way!" 

"Oh, come on Gin—"

"No way, Harry! You can't buy me a broom, it's too…it's too…too…"

"Too?"

"Personal!" 

"Personal?  A broomstick?" Harry laughed.  "Really, if I had said some sexy lingerie, or something, that would be personal, but a broomstick?"

"I doubt the sexy lingerie would be as expensive as a broomstick, Harry."

"No, but you'd look better in it," he glibly replied with a wink which sent her nerve-endings tingling. 

~~~~~~

_A/N:  Butterbeer Sport appears courtesy of PoV; the bartender at the Orb and Sceptre.  I'm totally blaming Piett for any innuendo that is in here, even though I had most of this completed before I read "The Joy of Quidditch."  I forgot to thank Sue, Anne, and Caitlyn for the Slytherin comments from the last chapter._

_I also have no earthly idea if there is such a thing as a "Stock Market" in the Wizarding world, but for the purposes of this story let's just pretend they do. _

_I have no earthly idea how much a Firebolt would cost, but I'm just gathering that it would just an astronomical amount, so don't quote me on that price._

_If you don't want to know what the Beatles references are, then stop reading this and review now. __J___

_BEATLES REFERENCES:  (I'm getting longer in my descriptions of them, because I think it's fun!)_

_John's line: "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the team and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition!" was taken from the last bit of "Get Back," originally appearing on "Let it Be."  The line was originally "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition," spoken by John as they were wrapping up what is known at the "Rooftop Concert."  _

_The voices' lines: "I have a plan." "A very famous plan," comes from the 1965 film HELP!  _

_Ron's line about the "flaming pie" refers back to a dream John Lennon claimed he had when asked by reporters about how the name of The Beatles came about.  He claimed that he had a dream that a man on a flaming pie came to him and said "You shall be Beatles with an A."  This wasn't true, but John apparently thought it made a good story._

_Monkberry Moon Delight—ok, so this is more of a Paul McCartney reference as it is the name of a song on his "Ram" album, one of my favorite albums and just a hysterical song._

_Cranberry Sauce—arguably the line spoken by John Lennon at the end "Strawberry Fields Forever" although I can still hear him saying "I buried Paul," but don't get me started…_

_Also from HELP! is the ring with the red stone on Richard Starkey's hand._

_The lines: "What do you call that hairstyle you're wearing?" "Arthur." Comes from the 1964 flim A Hard Day's Night—and you guys will never know how long I've wanted to put that in here, LOL!  We'll miss you George!_

_The "Enough holes to fill the Albert Hall" refers to the lyrics in the song "A Day In the Life": Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.  It's also a line in the animated 1968 film Yellow Submarine._

_And the chapter title is from the song on "Abbey Road."_


	13. The Ballad of Harry and Ginny

**Chapter Thirteen: The Ballad of Harry and Ginny**

Tired, freezing, and drenched, Harry walked into the boys' locker rooms, feeling as though he'd just come from a wrestling match with the giant squid.

"Ugh!" Paul complained as he pried of his boots and dumped the water onto the floor. "My skin's soaked right through to the skin."

January had come, and with it the second match loomed ever closer. Ginny had recovered from her injuries from the last match just fine, and once the Christmas holidays were over and the new term begun, she started up her grueling practice schedule. Eight days a week, in fact. 

Stripping off his dripping clothes, Harry wrapped a warm towel around his waist and began sorting through his bag for a clean pair of boxers, jeans, and socks.

"If that broom she says she's ordered doesn't come in soon, I don't know how we stand a chance," Ron mumbled through the thick wool of the jumper, which he was in the process of pulling over his head.

Harry nodded his head glumly. Hufflepuff had come a long way under the direction of Justin Finch-Fletchly, their captain. Justin had turned out to be a surprising leader and a quite popular seventh-year, which was a great change from the boy Harry had met in second year.

**That boy can't seem to keep his broomstick in the broom shed.**

_Yeah, he was caught with Susan Bones behind the Quidditch stands, Hanna Abbot in the dungeons, and both of the Patil twins in a broom cupboard._

**And all this time, we thought he was gay.**

_Yeah, well…_

"Have you asked her about it anymore?" Ron asked, snapping Harry from his thoughts. 

"No, not after the last time when she practically bit my head off," Harry said, moving back a bit from Ron as he pulled on the bright orange Cannons socks. Ron had this…thing…about wearing the same pair of socks during the Quidditch season. He said it was "good luck" and it seemed to be working, they'd never lost a game since he'd started this tradition although like Ginny said who'd want to try to score a goal through that stench. At least Hermione had taught Ron a freshening spell that fought off the worst of it.

"Something's going on Harry, it's not like Ginny to be so secretive. She never shuts up!"

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I know." 

"Can't you talk to her?"

"Believe me Ron, I've tried. She either changes the subject or just ignores the question all together." 

"I want to know where she got the money!" Ron hissed, shoving a foot into a well-worn trainer. "Fred, George, and I did good to get her old broomstick, and we had to get that used! Where on earth did she get enough money to order a brand spanking new broom?"

"Dunno," Harry sighed.

"Mae says that anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it," said John as he emerged from the shower, soap still in his hair. Harry couldn't miss the exasperated expression Paul gave him and Harry had to suppress a grin. Mae Chang was John's Ravenclaw girlfriend, a year older than he was, and the younger sister of Cho Chang. Mae was pretty in her own sort of way, but she seemed a bit…weird…as she just had absolutely no interest in Quidditch. John however, adored her, was always talking about her, and was more often seen in her company than without. 

Ron waited until the rest of the team had left the room before continuing, "Try talking to her again, ok Harry? It's been weeks since she's ordered that broomstick, and the game is in _three days_!"

Ginny had ordered a new broomstick, at least she'd told everyone she had, and the entire team was waiting with bated breath for its impending arrival. She'd been making due with the school brooms, which were absolutely horrendous sticks of wood, impossible to control and slower than Crabbe and Goyle trying to figure out an Arithmancy problem.

**Look, just go talk to her one more time. This is Ginny we're talking about. **

_Yeah, it's Ginny. The same girl who's always too damn tired to do anything fun, doesn't talk about anything but Quidditch, the girl who's practically ignored me since Christmas…_

**Maybe it's just a phase she's going through. She's female after all. It's quite simple enough, just go talk to her…NOW!**

And with that Harry left the locker room, not even hearing Ron's puzzled "Where you off to?"

****

Ginny was hunched over her own bag, hair dripping wet, but dressed in a faded blue t-shirt and jeans that evidently had been washed and worn more than their worth. Ignoring the startled gasp from Sue, who was also present, Harry strode towards Ginny.

"We need to talk."

Ginny jumped, turned and gasped, "What are you doing in here?" all at once.

"I want to talk to you," Harry firmly repeated.

**Good boy, just stay firm and don't let her get the upper hand this time.**

He watched Ginny's eyes lower, her face reddening a bit as she swallowed. "Erm…ok." 

"I was just leaving anyway," Harry heard Sue say breathlessly. His eyes focused on the other girl, who was openly staring at Harry, making no move to exit. Harry folded his arms over his torso and raised an eyebrow at her, watched her blush profusely as she got the hint and practically backed out of the room. Shaking his head at her strange antics, he turned his attention back to Ginny. She seemed frozen in her spot, and her own eyes were still lowered staring down at his…

**Bloody everlasting hell! Couldn't we have at least got dressed?**

Harry was just as surprised as she appeared to be to find himself still in the towel he'd draped around himself. He cleared his throat to gain her attention. Bright spots of red colored her face, neck and ears. She swallowed again.

"Uh, so…Harry, what's so important that you couldn't wait to get dressed before coming to see me?" she asked. Her voice was cool but shaky.

He shrugged non-chalantly as he could. "You've seen me in a towel before."

Remember that moment? What a classic! 

Ginny nodded and finally managed to meet his gaze. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

_ Not to sound conceited or anything, but the last time I was dressed like this she could barely keep her hands off me! What's got into her?_

**Maybe she's found some control?**

_ Wish she'd lose it again…_

He spotted a flash of silver draped around her neck. "What _is_ this thing? You never take it off." He asked as he tugged on the necklace.

Ginny tried to wrench the thing back from his grasp, but he was holding on too tightly. It was a round object, and although Harry had never actually seen one in real life, he knew what it was. Uncle Vernon had given Dudley a few during his last business trip to America. 

"It's…a…a….good luck charm, that's all," Ginny stammered, her face rapidly turning scarlet. She suddenly giggled, and Harry couldn't help but smile at the sound. "Amy and Patricia gave it to me."

"It's a quarter, isn't it?"

Ginny gaped at him. "Yes, how'd you know?"

"I've seen them before, American Muggles use them as money."

For some strange reason, Ginny looked quite relieved. "Oh yes, money! Of course, it's money. What did you think they were used for?" She coughed. "Now what did you want to see me about?"

"Well, I'd like to talk about how the game against Hufflepuff is in three days, and you still don't have a broomstick," Harry blurted out.

Ginny rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I've told you Harry, it's on its way. It's just taking a while to get here." 

"Obviously. I mean, I doubt even my Firebolt took six weeks to be delivered. Must be some broom you've got."

It could have been Harry's imagination, or perhaps the lighting in the locker room, but Ginny's suddenly took on the appearance of a hunted rabbit. "I'm not going to discuss this with you again, Harry. Go and get dressed!" Ginny turned and tried to get past him, but Harry wasn't having any of that.

"You don't discuss it at all! What's the bloody secret anyway? We'll all see it when it gets here. _If_ it gets here." He softened his tone, "Can't you at least tell me what you've got?"

Crimson ringlets fell forwards, brushing up against the bare skin of his chest as she bowed her head in defeat. "It's a Firebolt," she mumbled.

**Huh? **

_ WHAT?_

Placing a finger under her chin, he tipped her face up so he could hear her better. "I must have heard you wrong. Sounded like you said a Firebolt."

"That's because I did."

"A Firebolt. A REAL FIREBOLT!"

"Why are you shouting? Yes, a _Firebolt_. I believe you have one as well," she said impatiently, as though she were Hermione explaining to Ron the importance _of Hogwarts: A History_.

**She's lying.**

_ If her nose got any longer, she could use it as a broomstick._

"Where'd you get the money?" Harry demanded.

"I…I…" Harry could literally see the cogs working in head. "I've been saving up," she finished with a smug smile. 

"Saving up, huh? Didn't know Ginny Gems were selling that well," he said, referring to the sweets Ginny had invented and sold through Fred and George's joke shop. 

"Well, the Christmas season was very profitable," Ginny replied smoothly. "I must admit I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition over this, Harry."

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

"I just want to know why you're being so secretive. Come on Ginny, it's me you're talking to. Please don't do this…." He let his voice trail as he watched her turn away. "Just tell me who you bought it from…"

"I can't Harry. I promised." She slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm sorry." And she truly looked it, although Harry was in no mood to notice it. "I've got to go." Her retreating footsteps echoed in the now empty room.

****

"Should we open it?" Ron asked Harry, nodding to the long package that sat on the common room table.

  
"Don't be silly Ron! It's Ginny's package, not yours? How would you like it if someone opened up your mail?" Hermione scolded without even glancing up from her homework. "You're going to have to wait until Ginny gets back from detention."

"Yeah, but I want to see what it is!" Ron complained, while furtively hiding the copy of _ Quidditch Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue_ in between his Divination books. Harry had sneaked a quick peek of it earlier; Anastasia Dimitrova of Russia was on the front cover, wearing something that looked like strawberry edible underwear.

"It's a Firebolt," Harry said. "She told me this afternoon."

"What? There's no way she could have got a Firebolt, not in a million years!" Ron banged his fist on the table. "Absolutely no way at all."

"Maybe she got it used?" Hermione asked. 

Ron rolled his eyes. "Anyone who has read _Quidditch Illustrated _knows that one does not buy a used Firebolt," he said loftily. "They've not been out on the market long enough."

Hermione smiled serenly. "Well, you can let me borrow that copy you've got in your Divination book, can't you? You know the one with Anastasia Dimitrova draped all over that goal post in that hot pink string bikini?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged grins. The look on Ron's face was priceless. "I read it for the articles," Ron protested, his ears reddening.

"Of course."

Turning back to his Divination homework, Harry read his weekly astrological report, of which he had to interpret.

_**The lion is facing troubled times as he passes through Mercury. Deceit, lies, and treachery are your companions. Beware the raven, as he brings you nothing but torment. **_

_Ah, yes! The usual nonsense…_

** Wait a moment, there might be something to this. "Beware the raven as he brings you nothing but torment."** ** I know where Ginny got the Firebolt!**

_From that?_

** Think about it. Raven. Ravenclaw. Who is the one person Ginny would know well enough to get her a Firebolt?**

_Pretty boy Peter. _

** And it's why she's refused to tell us anything. **

_Ginny wouldn't really do something like that would she? _

** I…I don't know. The old Ginny, no. This Ginny, Captain Ginny, hell bent on winning or else Ginny…she might.**

As if on cue, Ginny came through the portrait hole, hair in wild dissaray about her shoulders and a bit of dirt on her nose. She looked haggard, most likely from polishing the trophy room again. Her tired eyes brightened though once they landed on the long package.

"See! I told you it would come!" she said smugly, nearly running over to grab the broom. The rustling sound of paper being ripped to shreds filled the room as Ginny made quick work of the wrapping. 

"Wow!"

"Amazing!"

It was a Firebolt Chaser. The firelight reflecting off the diamond hard polish shone so brightly it could've blinded them. It hung in the air, the familiar light humming sound drowning out the startled gasps from Ron and Hermione.

"How did you get it? Was it from Mr Simmons? When can I try it?" Ron was nearly dancing with excitement, and Harry knew it was all he could do to keep from touching the gleaming wood. The broom was just as perfect as Harry had remembered.

"Well Harry? What do you think?" Ginny asked, ignoring her brother for a moment.

"It's nice," was all he could allow himself to say.

** Is this a dagger I see before me?**

Harry came closer to inspect it, making a great show out of examining each twig, praying there would be some sort of imperfection. A blemish. A bent twig. Anything to criticise. But no, the broom appeared as though it had just come from the factory. 

"Wow! Look at the early registration number," Ron said as he inspected the registration number that all Firebolts had imprinted on them. "This must be one of the first to be made." Harry noticed the number inscribed in gold lettering: 28IF.

"But where did you get the money?" Hermione finally asked, not as impressed with the broom as Ron was. 

"She sold a few things," Harry replied coldly, giving Ginny an appraising look. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes, that's it. I'd been saving up as well."

Ron didn't seem to buy that either. "Saving up? Ginny, you couldn't afford one of these things in your dreams. Come on, this is me you're talking to. Where'd you get this?"

"I told you. I bought it." Ginny was clearly becoming annoyed. "I can't tell you who from, I promised I wouldn't."

Ron looked like he wanted to argue the point a bit further, but must have decided against it instead. Excitement crept back into his voice once again as he contemplated the upcoming match. "Hufflepuff's not going to have a prayer against us! We're unbeatable with two Firebolts on the team! That cup'll be ours in no time!"

Hermione didn't look as nearly as convinced as Ron did, but was familiar with Ginny enough to know when she wasn't going to get a straight answer. "It's a really great broom," she said supportively. "I know you'll be great on it."

"Thanks Hermione." Ginny carefully grasped the handle, as though it would shatter at the merest touch. "I would think that Harry would have a bit more to say than 'It's nice.' After all, all I've heard in the past two months is 'When are you going to get a new broom? Have you ordered a new broom? You need to get a broom,'" she mocked Harry's voice.

Harry stared stonily back, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling as he felt the tension rise to an unbearable level.

"Yes, well…we need to get to bed," Hermione said, pulling Ron away from the broom and nudging him up the boys' dormitory. "I'll see you both tomorrow." Harry heard a mumbled "I hope" as she walked past him up to her own staircase.

Harry waited until he had heard the soft click of two doors being shut.

"Listen Ginny—"

"No Harry, you listen!" Ginny nearly shouted, volume increasing with each word, as sure sign that the Weasley temper was about to be unleashed. "Why can't you just be happy for me? Why?"

"Happy?" Harry shot back just as furiously. "Happy about all the lies? All the secrecy? And how do you know this is even a real Firebolt?"

"Well of course it's real! You can't just go about counterfeiting Firebolts, it's impossible! You know that!" Ginny's face was blood red, her brown eyes wild, making her appear more like a banshee that Seamus told stories of from his native Ireland. "Besides," she added, "I trust the person who gave it to me."

"Oh yeah, let's talk about this guy…" Harry didn't care who heard him. He was so angry he couldn't see straight.

"I'm not telling you who he is!"

"You don't have to! I know! Didn't think I could put two and two together, did you?"

"What are you talking about?" To her credit, Ginny looked genuinely confused.

"PETER! There, I said it. Pretty boy Peter gave you that Firebolt." 

Ginny let out a startled laugh. "Peter? You think Peter gave me that? Why—"

"Because I've seen him around you! He likes you!" Harry didn't notice how close they were to each other, noses almost touching as they shouted.

"That's…that's…" Ginny spluttered angrily. "You can't be serious!"

"I can just picture the senario, all cozy in Charms class with the Ravenclaws isn't it? Share a desk, do you?"

"Harry, I don't believe that you honestly think…" If Harry hadn't been so furious, he would have seen the tears in Ginny's eyes, how her entire body shook with anger, how her hands were balled into tight fists at her sides.

"What did you have to do to get the broom, huh? What did you pay it all up front or is it on a "layaway" basis?" 

Harry never saw it coming. No warning at all before the dull thud of flesh hitting flesh and a sharp pain lashed through his skull. His head snapped back with the force of the blow, and the last thing Harry remembered was tasting the warm metallic flavor of blood, just before he fell to the floor.

****

_A/N: Thanks to Presto for the use of his strawberry edible underwear. _ J_ Thanks to Anne, the Grammar Nazi, for the grammar help and for letting me borrow her Monty Python references. I swear, that just snuck in there. Apologies to Imogen for the use of the word "snuck."_

Paul's line: _"My skin's soaked right through to the skin." is taken from the 1965 movie Help!_

_Ten points to whoever can name BOTH women that Mae Chang is based on. Both played a role in John Lennon's life._

_And the dagger line was straight from Shakespeare's Macbeth. _

_Apologies for the cliffhanger, but I need some motivation for the next chapter, although I am very close to getting to the scene that I pretty much wrote this story around._


	14. The Walrus Was Paul

Chapter Fourteen: The Walrus Was Paul

"That's quite a shiner," Ron admiringly observed as he leaned up against the basin in the Prefect's bathroom. He handed Harry another cold compress.  

**Go to hell.**

_And rot._

"Thanks," Harry muttered thickly, looking at his reflection in the mirror that hung just above the marble basin.  Had he just been trampled by a Manticore, he couldn't have looked—or felt—any worse. His right eye, from just  below his scar to the upper part of his cheek was a nasty, deep bluish-black color.  The force of Ginny's punch had caused him to bite down on his tongue, which was now swollen and felt as though it was the size of Dudley's after eating a Ton Tongue Toffee.  His eye and head both throbbed painfully.  His nose was a bit red looking, but wasn't bleeding anymore, although it still felt very sore.  Harry had no idea how long he'd been knocked out; the first thing he had seen once he regained consciousness was the green amphibious eye of Trevor the toad, who had been perched on his chest, staring down at him with an imperious look.  Neville appeared into focus next, standing over him with a pale, frightened expression on his rotund face.****

"I mean, wow, she really got you good," Ron continued.  "She always had the nastiest left.  Used to beat up Fred all the time when we were little."  Harry tried to glare at Ron, but the effort to do so just hurt more than it was worth, so he just sighed and held the cold compress to his eye again.  

Ron chuckled non-apologetically, "Sorry mate, I know you're my best friend and all but really, you have to admit she got you good.  Allow me my moment of brotherly pride."  This time Harry did manage a glare, although it hurt like hell and had no effect on Ron, who just ignored it and grinned widely.  "It's Bill you should be yelling at, he's the one who taught her how to fight when we were in Egypt, and she got in some trouble sneaking into a tomb and running into some grave-robbers."

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

Ron shrugged, still grinning madly.  "Do I even want to know what you did that caused my sweet, innocent, even-tempered sister to punch you?"

Harry paused briefly as he tried to get his glasses to sit straight on his nose.

Oh, nothing.  I just acted like an insanely jealous idiot— 

_Which I'm not!_

_—**and insulted her in the lowest way a man can insult a woman.**_

_Which was deserved!_

No it wasn't!  Whatever Ginny's done, cheating isn't even on the list and you know it!  Ginny would never—

"Harry?"

"Wha—oh—sorry Ron," Harry quickly recovered.  

Ron quirked an eyebrow and looked at him expectantly.  "Well?" he prompted.  "What did you do?"

"I…uh…I…I…acted like an idiot," Harry said lamely.

_Did not!_

Did too!

_Did not!_

Ron nodded.  "Oh, well…hey, it happens to the best of us," Ron said sagely.  "Even Hermione has accused me of doing that every once in a while, although it's normally when I bring up Viktor Krum—"  It was amazing how fast Ron could move from casually lounging against the wash basin to looming over Harry in a threatening manner.  "You didn't accuse her of anything like _that did you?" _

_Damn him and his perceptive ways! _

Harry paled.  "No.  Not really."  He sighed.  "Yes, yes I did."

Great! We'll have another shiner to match the first.

Ron looked at Harry for a moment, and Harry could almost see what Ron inwardly debating whether to punch him or not.  Harry anxiously watched Ron's arms which were crossed over his chest, waiting for any indication that he was about to get knocked out again.  Thankfully, Ron just looked at him sternly for a long moment, then sighed.  "What an idiot.  Who is it that _you could possibly be jealous of?  I mean, you're the great Harry Potter."_

"I don't know," Harry confessed.  "I'm just tired of all the lies and the secrecy, and I just…snapped.  I know it's not true, but still…"

Ron patted him on the back in sympathy.  "Yeah, but still…you've gone and done it now, that's for sure."

No kidding.

****

"How is she?" Ginny could hear Hermione's soft whisper through the bed curtains.  

"We think she's ok," replied Amy, in the same soft tone.  "Under the circumstances."

"She didn't come down for practice.  She _never misses practice." Sue must have followed Hermione.  "What should we do?  Harry's not come down either, and Ron just called the whole thing off and told us to go back up to bed."_

Ginny lay face down on her bed, pretending that she couldn't hear the low conversation taking place just a few feet away.  She'd not slept at all that night and had spent most of her time in the girls' bathroom nursing her hand.  She thought she may have broken a few knuckles, but couldn't be too sure, and was too damned angry to go to Madam Pomfrey to check it out.

"She's missed breakfast.  She never misses breakfast."  Sue's voice rose in panic.  "And no one has seen Harry at all.  Did they have a fight?  I heard some yelling last night, but I just put a silencing charm on and went back to bed."

"Sue, why don't you go downstairs and get ready for class.  I believe you have potions this morning," Hermione said in that "I'm Head Girl, don't argue with me" tone.  Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed.  Knowing Hermione as she did, she knew what was soon to come.

"Ginny Estelle Weasley you get out of bed this instant!  You have Charms in exactly thirty minutes, and you can't afford to be late again.  Professor Flitwick has already given you detention twice for tardiness."  Footsteps echoed closer to Ginny's bed, and a moment later, the curtains were ripped back to reveal Hermione's bushy head.  "Get—"  Her voice trailed off once she spotted Ginny in the shadows.  "What…what's going on?  Are you sick?"

"Give her a break Hermione," Patricia said as she handed Ginny some water.  "She's been through a lot, ok?" 

"Yes, well…you should be happy to hear that Harry's ok," Hermione said.  "Although he was found lying on the common room floor by Neville as he was looking for Trevor.  His nose was bleeding badly—he could have bled to death!"

Ginny didn't say a word.

"Pity that.  I would have let him rot there until the Cannons win the Championship,"  Amy spat out angrily.  "Serves him right."

"How can you say that, Amy?  You should have seen him!  His eye was all black and blue—"

"No longer green as a fresh pickled toad?"

"—and you should be thankful, Ginny, that I had put an unbreakable charm on the lenses or you could have seriously hurt him!"

"And what a shame that would have been!"

Hermione and Amy glared at each other for a moment.  "Ginny," Hermione said, turning back to her with a huff. "You need to get dressed and go eat something before class.  I'll see you at lunch." 

Had Ginny not felt so angry—hurt—whatever the hell she was feeling at the moment, she might have laughed at the way Amy's nose scrunched up and Patricia stuck out her tongue at the retreating form of Hermione. 

"You going to go to class?" Patricia asked.  "We can tell Professor Flitwick that you're sick or something."

"No, I'll be there," Ginny said.  "You two go on ahead.  I'll catch you up in a bit."  Ginny waited until both girls had got their bags and left before uncovering the object she had hidden under the covers next to her.

The polished handle gleamed in the morning light.  Ginny hadn't really had a chance to look it over since she'd opened the package the previous evening.

So, this is what you sold your soul for? 

_Hey! It's a Firebolt!  _

**Beg to differ.  It _looks like a Firebolt.  _**

_Well of course it looks like a Firebolt! It's real!_

It should be real after what you did to get it, but I'm not going to stake my life on it.

_What?  You were the one who was so keen on the idea to begin with!_

I merely said that it would be nice if we had something worth selling— 

_Which we did!_

--in order to get our own broomstick!  

_Which we did!_

**You think Bagman, out of the goodness of his heart, just walked up to us one breezy afternoon, and handed us a _Firebolt practically for free, do you?  _**

Um…well… 

Exactly.  I've got a bad feeling about this.   This has been too easy.  Way too easy. 

_You could have mentioned this before we went and sold that trinket!_

Which, by the way, we're never going to be able to get back.  That pawnbroker's never going to sell it back.  

_Well, it was the only thing of value we had!  Even though it was just a silly old gold box with a picture of a bird on it._

Silly old gold box that we dearly loved because we got it in Egypt!  The day we ran into those grave robbers in that tomb.  And I'm sure it was worth more than the price we got for it.  We're never going to get it back!

_Well, there's no sense in whining over spilled milk. What's done is done, and we're just going to have to make the best of it._

Fair enough.  Now, what do we do about…_him?_

_I don't want to think about him.  _

Hmmm.  Well, we've got Quidditch practice this evening—the game is tomorrow you know—so you might want to think about how you're going to _not think about him when he's going to be right there!_

_That son of a bitch!  I mean, who is he to accuse me of…of…and with Peter!  When have I even given Peter so much as a second glance, and the nerve of that scrawny, knobbly-kneed, scruffy-headed—_

So much for not thinking about him.

_—to accuse me of…of…that…why I'll…I'll…turn him into a newt!_

A  what?

_He'd get better.  _

****

Needless to say, Harry was not having a very good day.  He kept on receiving very curious looks from the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws, while the Slytherins didn't bother to hide their amusement at his black eye and swollen nose.  Even the professors couldn't refrain from making comments on his appearance, and several went so far as to make suggestions on how to bring down the swelling. 

"I'd put a nice cold steak on that eye, Mr Potter," squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick during Charms.  "I've heard it works wonders."

"You should be at Madam Pomfrey's," scolded Professor McGonagall as she was taking up the homework.  Harry nodded mutely and sank down further in his seat, trying to tune out Seamus' and Dean's chuckles.

"Ten points for fighting, Potter," sneered Snape as he passed him in the hallway. "I'm sure that black eye didn't just pop up there during the night." 

 This was just too much for Harry, who snarled back, "I haven't been fighting!"  He suddenly found himself wishing that he'd not said that as loudly as he had, as a small crowd of students were gathering around him.  His face heated, especially as his gaze landed on that of Peter Byrne, standing a few feet behind Ron, and the gloating expression of Draco Malfoy, who had pushed his way right to the front of the crowd.

Snape paused and raised a greasy black eyebrow.  "Oh? Well, perhaps you'd like to explain just how you came by such an injury."

Harry swallowed.  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ron's expression, torn between utter outrage that Snape was taking points from Gryffindor, and amusement that Harry might have to publicly admit just how he'd received his black eye.  "Never mind," he murmured, and quickly pushed his way through the crowd, making sure he gave Peter an extra shove. 

Harry thought things couldn't have got worse after that incident, but he was very wrong.  Just as he was heading to the Great Hall for lunch, Peeves squeezed out from the left nostril of a painting of former Headmistress Michaela the Mysterious, and began to sing in the loudest,  most screeching voice he could manage:

_Oh, what's a poor Seeker to do,_

_His eye is all black and blue_

_Unconscious some more,_

_On the Common Room floor,_

_And quite a nose-bleed he had too!_

Harry prayed quickly for sudden death.  He turned about as quickly as he could to get up to Gryffindor Tower, but ran smack into the last person he wanted to see that day.

Ginny gasped as she stumbled back, her books flying from her arms, her face flaming just as brightly as his must've been.   She opened her mouth, as though wanting to say something.  But Harry didn't want to talk to her, not at that particular moment especially.  And so he managed to regain whatever dignity he had left and simply walked past her not even bothering to help pick up the books that had fallen.

****

"You look a bit stressed," Paul said as he plopped down next to John at the Gryffindor table.  Ginny was sitting down at the furthest end of the table with her friends, which was far as she could get from Harry.

"My girlfriend, Mae Chang, she's been suggesting that screaming helps a lot," John bragged through a large portion of cranberry sauce. 

Ginny barely heard him, as she was looking down the table at Harry, who was sitting between Ron and Hermione.  She sighed.

"You should just apologise," Paul said.  

"What for?" Amy asked angrily from Ginny's left.  "She's not done anything wrong."

"It's Harry who should be apologising," Patricia said, sitting across from Amy.  

"At least go talk to him.  You two are just being stubborn, and at this rate, you won't be speaking for a year," Paul told her, ignoring the outraged looks from the girls.  "Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting." 

"Go tell that to Harry," ordered Amy, glaring at Paul as though he was somehow cause of the rift between Harry and Ginny.

"Yeah," agreed Patricia, "You men are always sticking up for each other.  It's disgusting."

"Like women don't?" Paul spat back, munching on a thin wafer.  A loud popping noise followed, and Ginny quickly found herself staring at a very large walrus where Paul had been sitting.  He let out a surprised grunt through thick ivory tusks and slapped at John with a large flipper.  Thick brown fur covered his body and long black whiskers stuck out from his nose.

"Walrus wafers!" John said through astonished giggles, ducking the blow with ease.  "I bought some from Zonko's last week!"

"John, you turn him back this instant!" Ginny screeched, horrified at the possibility that the effects of the wafer wouldn't wear off in time for the Quidditch match.  She'd hate to have to explain to Madam Hooch that the walrus on the Gryffindor team was Paul. 

"Lay off, it won't last long," John said in a placating tone.  "See, he's turning back now."  True enough, Ginny could start to see Paul's whiskers were fading, and he was gradually turning back to his normal color.  "There's no need to get upset, you know. You're really acting tense about this match, you know that?  Why don't you follow Mae's advice and go off and just scream for a bit?  She practically raves at how much better—"

"John, I have no interest in what your girlfriend has to say!" Ginny spat angrily.  She might have felt sorry about taking her anger out on the younger student, but all the pent up emotion that she'd been feeling over the past few days finally burst through.  The entire end of the table went very silent as John gave her a furious glare, and stomped away from the table in a huff.

"Now  you've done it," Paul said, and Ginny was relieved to note he was human again, although his two front teeth still resembled tusks.  "He'll be in that mood for the rest of the day."  And he too, left the table.

Both Patricia and Amy stared at Ginny.  "Well, fine," Ginny said.  And she left as well, taking care not to go anywhere near where Harry was sitting.

Twenty minutes later found Ginny sitting outside absently tossing stones across the lake, wincing when one hit one of the giant squid's waving tentacle.  With a large splash and a whirlpool of water, the squid quickly disappeared beneath the surface.

Great, we're managing to hack off the entire population of Hogwarts.

_Well, so what?  Why should everyone else be in a good mood when I'm not?_

Why can't we go talk to Harry?  We can't keep on going on like this!

_He's not falling over himself trying to talk to me either!  _

Well, can you be surprised?  I mean, there's no telling how long he was lying on the Common Room floor.  

_He can still be there, for all I care!  And whose side are you on anyway?_

Whichever side it takes to get things back to where they once belonged!  Go apologise for hitting him!

_I won't!  He started it anyway, he should be the one to apologise!_

"Hey Ginny," said a deep voice.  Ginny nearly jumped out of her skin.  "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," said Peter, easing down on the soft grass to sit next to her.  "I just wanted to wish you good luck for tomorrow," he smiled at her.

Great, this is all we need….

"Uh, thanks Peter."  Ginny felt very uncomfortable around Peter, something she'd never been before, and she couldn't help but blame Harry for causing her to feel this way.  She'd never seen Peter as anything more than a friend, but since Harry's unfounded accusation, she couldn't help but second guess herself now. 

"You look tired," he observed casually.  "I think you have the right of it."

"The right of what?"

"Calling off practice.  You all could use a break."

Practice?  She'd forgotten all about it!  "Damn it!" Ginny quickly pushed herself up and dusted off her robes.  "I forgot all about practice this evening!"  She slapped her forehead in anger, and dashed towards the pitch.  "They'll be waiting on me!"

Only Sue was there, flying around the goal posts.  She caught sight of Ginny and quickly landed. Ginny panted up to her, clutching the stitch in her side.  "Ginny, where is everyone?  Where have you been? I've been here for nearly twenty minutes!"

"Where is everyone?" 

"I don't know," Sue shrugged.  "Dennis got detention this afternoon from Snape, and I haven't seen anyone else."

_I'm going to kill them!_

Good idea, then you won't have to apologise to anyone if they're dead.  

"What are we going to do?" asked Sue.

Ginny paused for a moment.  Maybe it would be best if they all took a break from each other.  They could clear their minds, mentally gear themselves up for the match.  

"Go on back to the Tower, Sue," Ginny said at last.  From the expression on Sue's face, Ginny might have said to go kiss the giant squid.  "Seriously, I mean it.  We could all use a break."  Ginny hadn't even finished the sentence before Sue was running off, as though she feared Ginny might change her mind if she didn't leave quickly enough.

Ginny sighed.  Not wanting to walk all the way up to the Tower, in which she'd have to pass through the Common Room where she might encounter Harry, she pulled out her wand and yelled, "Accio Firebolt!"  Concentrating really hard on her Firebolt, which was safely tucked away in her dresser, she hoped no one at Hogwarts would get too upset at seeing a flyerless broom whiz through the air.

It was amazing how being on a broomstick somehow eases all worries, Ginny thought.  Once up in the air, she felt free, lighter, and better than she had all week.  The new Firebolt worked perfectly, obeying her slightest command.  There was nothing wrong with the broomstick, forgery or not. Her initial fears were put to rest.  They would win the match against Hufflepuff.  Things between her and Harry _would work out.  Everything was going to be fine._

****

_A/N: If anyone is still reading this, you might be pleased to note that I don't think that the next one will take as long for me to write.  I just hope this chapter was worth the wait.   Cait wanted the whole "steak" thing, so I hope she enjoys that bit.  There are some Monty Python bits to go with all the Beatles references, which as I'm anxious to get this chapter posted, I won't bother listing them all.  Imogen helped with Peeves' limerick, although I surprised myself in actually coming up with a line or two.  Anne gets a huge hug for finding all my grammar mistakes and pointing out subtext.  Thanks for reading everyone!_


	15. Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff

Chapter Fifteen: Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff

It was very late when Ginny climbed in through the portrait hole, breathless from her exercise.  She paused,  not expecting to see the fire still burning brightly in the fireplace, nor to find three people huddled together at one of the tables, books open and quills scratching hastily across parchment.  

"Where've you been?" asked her brother.  "It's a bit late out, don't you think?"  Although Harry's back was facing Ginny, she saw him stiffen slightly once he'd realised that it was she who'd entered.  

"Out riding," she replied.  Screwing up her courage, she came towards them, deciding she'd only look like the world's biggest coward if she didn't, and she made a point of standing right next to Harry, although she wasn't able to look over at him just yet.

"You should be studying," Hermione said briskly, "not out on that broom of yours."  She motioned to the broom Ginny was clutching.

"Well, I had to try it out just once before the game."  

"And?"

"It's fine," Ginny smiled for the first time that day.

"Good," yawned Ron as he slammed his book closed.  "I'm dead beat."

"Yes, me too," agreed Hermione.  "I'm on watch early tomorrow, and you—" she shook her quill at Ron, "—you have to go explain to Professor McGonagall why you took fifty points from Slytherin this afternoon."

"What was I supposed to do? Let that little conniving first year get away with selling that dead parrot to those Hufflepuffs?"

"No, but…well, I guess you did have good reason."

"Damned right I did!"

Hermione frowned at Ron's choice of words, but just shook her head.  "Come on, let's go to bed.  'Night Harry," she added.  Ginny noticed Hermione didn't extend the greeting to her as well.  Ron smiled sheepishly at his sister, then followed Hermione up the stairs.

Go on. Say something.

_What?  What do I say at this point?   " Sorry for leaving you for dead on the common room floor last night."  Yeah, that'll go down well.  _

Was it just last night? Seemed longer than that to me.

Just as Ginny took a breath to say something, a shriek from upstairs made both her and Harry jump.

"But you said  'let's go to bed!'" Ron protested, grinning madly as he was almost shoved downstairs by Hermione.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"  Hermione hissed back.  "Now go to bed! Your _own_ bed!" she added, when Ron looked as though he was going to turn around and head back up.

Silence crept back into the now empty common room once Ron had retreated up the boys' staircase.  Ginny couldn't help but giggle at the antics of her brother.

"I wish I could be more like him," Harry said quietly, startling her.

"Why?"

"Because," He finally turned to face her, "you always know what he's thinking.  Never makes any attempt to hide his feelings.  I wish I could do that."

"Oh," Ginny said, not knowing what to say really.  She'd never really thought about it much, to be honest, but then she'd been living with Ron for her entire life—minus the year separation during his first year at Hogwarts, and thus didn't pick up on the many nuances of her brother.

"I think that's why he and Hermione make such a good couple," Harry continued on absently, "I know everyone says they fight a lot, but I think that helps the relationship, you know?  If something's bothering them, they tell the other, right then and there.  Clears the air.  They don't let things sit and fester, keeping things bottled up inside until you feel like you're going to explode."

Ginny nodded. They stared at each other for endless moments, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Come on! He's given you the perfect opening!  SAY IT!

_I can't…_

"Well, I'm off.  We've got to get up early tomorrow." She watched Harry gather up his books and throw them in his bag.  He paused just as he passed her, still standing there.

SAY IT!

" 'Night," he whispered.

"Good night," she croaked, inwardly cringing at her cowardice.

What a wuss!

****

Harry threw his bag on top of his trunk, ignoring the sleepy protests from Seamus, who snorted, then rolled over and mumbled something about Parvati.

Coward! You had the most perfect opportunity—

_I know!  I just couldn't do it! _

So now what? You're just going to pretend nothing happened? 

_I don't know! I just couldn't say what I wanted to say…_

So instead you said a bunch of rubbish…

"You still up, Harry?" Ron yawned and pulled back the curtains to his bed.  "We've got a big game tomorrow."

"I'm going, I'm going," Harry murmured, throwing back the curtains to his own bed and sliding beneath the duvet.

"Sure could cut the tension between you and Gin with a machete," Ron observed sleepily.  

"Yeah," agreed Harry.

"Ginny can't stay mad forever.  I think the longest she stayed mad was the time I turned her pet rabbit into a snake because she painted my Puffskein pink.  Ginny's scared to death of snakes," he chuckled.  "Ironic, huh?  Anyway, she didn't speak to me for about three weeks.  So, you don't have long to wait."  Ron grinned, "Besides, you can probably turn on the old charm and get her speaking to you in no time.  I mean, that's what I always do when Hermione gets all riled up, and she's never gone longer than a day without speaking to me," he laughed, running a hand through his red hair.   "Although, I have the famous Weasley grin which manages to turn her into butter with one look."  Ron yawned sleepily and rolled over.  "But I'm sure you probably have something Ginny finds irresistible…just use it."

That's not bad advice.

_But what do we have that she finds irresistible?_

Besides a well-kept Firebolt?

_She's got her own now, remember?_

Oh yeah.

_There's got to be something…there's just got to be._

And with that thought, Harry finally settled down and went to sleep.

****

Ginny stood at the door of the locker room, tapping her foot impatiently.  She'd woke up early that morning and headed straight for the pitch, getting a feel for the day's playing conditions.  The weather was nice and chilly, with just a hint of morning fog which would hopefully burn off before the game.  The ground was nice and hard, ensuring a swift kick off.  By the time she'd got to the locker room, nearly every one was there.  She glanced around the room, her gaze pausing on the dark haired figure in the corner, who gave her a funny sort of wink, or at least it looked like a wink.  Ginny wasn't sure.

"Where's John?" she finally demanded, looking at Paul, who—as John's best friend—would be the one to know his whereabouts..  Paul glanced at Dennis and swallowed nervously.  Ron gave a slight snigger from his spot on the bench, lacing up his shoes.    

"Well?"

"He's in bed," Paul squeaked. "He's not coming down."  He quickly looked down at the floor, as though he was afraid to look at her.

  
"WHAT?!" Ginny was thunderstruck.  "He's sick?  Why didn't anyone tell me before now?" she fumed, starting to head toward the entrance.

"He's not sick," Dennis said quickly, as though this news would reassure her.  Ginny turned around.  "He's just not coming down."

Ginny goggled at him.  What on earth was wrong?  If John wasn't sick…

"John says he's not getting up from bed until you go apologise to him," Paul finally explained, still fascinated with the scarlet and gold tile floor.  "He said that he's exercising  his rights as a Beater to protest against—"

Ginny, however, didn't wait hear what John was protesting against, as she had already dashed through the door and was running back up to Gryffindor Tower.  Pushing her way through the morning crowd of Gryffindors, who were all sleepy-eyed and confused as to why their Quidditch Captain appeared as though she'd snap the head off the first person who asked her what she was doing, Ginny forced her way into the 2nd year boys room.  It didn't take long to figure out which bed was John's, he was sitting up in it, curtains pulled back, wearing—for some unfathomable reason—a brown paper bag over his head.  

"Come on Johnny, get up!" cried a sandy haired boy.  "They're all waiting for you!"

The brown paper bag shook slightly.  Ginny paused at the foot of the bed, knowing if she didn't take time to count to ten, she was going to end up breaking something—or someone—and knew she could not afford to end up breaking her Beater just before a game.

"John," she said quietly, "We have a game in exactly thirty minutes.  Why don't you come down and change?  It'll hardly do for you to be wearing your pajamas during the match."  She was rather proud of how she didn't raise her voice and managed to insert a joke when she was definitely _not_ in a joking mood.

The bag shook again.  "John," she repeated a bit more forcefully, "I'm going to give you until the count of ten."

"Apologise!" John's voice was muffled by the bag.

"For what?" cried Ginny, losing her temper at last.  "I've not done anything!"

"You hurt my feelings yesterday!" The brown paper bag was nodding furiously.  "You said you didn't care about what Mae—"

Ginny couldn't believe what she was hearing.  What was more important to John, Quidditch or his pathetic girlfriend? "I'm going to hurt more than your feelings if you don't get out of that bed this instant! Of all the insane, ridiculous—"  Ginny snatched the bag from John's head.  He blinked in surprise, blinded by the sudden light.   Before John could blink again, Ginny had grabbed him by his—

"OW!" he hollered, causing the stained glass windows to shudder violently.  "That's my ear!"

"It's going to be worse than that if you don't start getting dressed!" Ginny yelled back just as loudly, opening John's trunk and throwing his Quidditch trousers and jumper at him.  "Now get dressed!"

It was a strange procession back to the Gryffindor locker room with John clutching his ear and hopping occasionally due to a sprained ankle sustained when Ginny had shoved him down the stairs.  The commotion in the 2nd year boys' room attracted the attention of quite a few curious onlookers who followed Ginny and John down, sniggering here and there, and talking excitedly about the upcoming match.

"Help!" cried John.  "Won't someone please, please help me?"

"Shut it, you!"

"You've hurt my foot!" wailed  John.  "I can't play like this!" he protested, hopping on his other foot and clutching his right.

"You'll be in the air, you dolt.  You won't need to use your feet much anyway—you're on a broomstick for heaven's sake!"

"It's about time!" Ron exclaimed excitedly, opening the door to the locker room to let the pair in.  "Madam Hooch just came by to see what the hold-up was."

"We're all here now," said Ginny crossly, slipping on her leather gloves and reaching in her locker for her Firebolt, stopping to check and make sure it was ok.  The polish on it was so shiny, she could see the image of Harry furiously shining his own Firebolt in the corner.  Their gazes met in the reflection on her handle and he winked.  Ginny blinked in puzzlement.

"Are we ready?" she asked, turning around. 

"YES!" came the resounding cry.

"Let's go!" 

****

"You know the rules," called Madam Hooch.  "I want a good clean fight.  Captains," she pointed to Ginny and Justin Finch-Fletchley, "shake hands."  The whistle blew, and the game began.

"And it's Hoopsis with the Quaffle," said Nigel Roache.  "Amy Hoopsis of Hufflepuff, that is—we have a lot of Amys here at Hogwarts.  Pitiful name, if you ask me."  Jeers and Boos followed this comment, most likely from the many Amys present at the game.

Ginny darted after the Hufflepuff Chaser, but paused in mid-air, realizing something wasn't quite right with the game.

"What is she doing?" Sue giggled as she skidded beside Ginny.  Ginny noticed that all the players, including the Hufflepuff Keeper, were in total shock.  Even Madam Hooch paused from her referee duties, her whistle hanging limply from her bottom lip.

"AMY!" cried another Hufflepuff Chaser in a desperate attempt to stop her, but it was too late.

"Well, this is something you don't see every day," chortled Nigel in his magical megaphone.  "Seems like Amy got a bit confused, or lost…" He paused to snigger, while the entire stands were erupting in fits of giggles, "Chaser Hoopsis just scored the first ten points of the game….for GRYFFINDOR!"  

"The expressions on the Hufflepuffs' faces are priceless," Nigel said, clutching a stitch in his side.  "I guess there are some things money can't buy."

Ginny's new Firebolt, once she got a chance to put it in action, was simply brilliant.  She weaved through the other players, swooping in and out with ease.  

"And Captain Weasley seems to be putting her new Firebolt to good use, although one does wonder how she came into possession of a new Firebolt.  The Weasley family isn't exactly known for their wealth, if the state of their robes is any indication, so maybe Weasley had to turn a few tricks," Nigel said glibly, dodging thrown objects from the Gryffindors in the stands.  "Can't expect Potter contributed anything, word has it she's responsible for that pretty black eye of his."

"Now, now Roache," said Snape silkily.  "You're here to comment on Quidditch, not give us the latest gossip."

"Right you are, Professor.  Just giving a bit of bedroom…I mean, _background_ information." 

Ginny barely heard the comments, she was too busy dodging a Bludger aimed at her by one of the Hufflepuff Beaters.  "Sorry to do this to you," said Richard, one of the Beaters as he aimed another Bludger at her, forcing Ginny to roll over in mid-air and nearly crash into Dennis, "but it's only a game, you know."

"And Beater Richard Starkey aims two nicely hit Bludgers at Weasley, a spectacular feat when considering the weight from those rings he wears.  Quaffle taken by Maxwell,  passes off to Weasley, tosses over the shoulder to Creevey, and he scores!  Twenty points for Gryffindor—although I don't think the first ten should count."

Ginny cheered as Sue circled the goal posts.  Harry wasn't far from her, cheering Sue on as well, and once again, he met her gaze and winked.  Ginny frowned.

"Time out!" she motioned to Madam Hooch, who blew her whistle.

"What's up?" Ron asked as he landed next to her.  "We're twenty points up, and barely did a thing!"  

 "Harry, are you ok?"  Ginny asked, completely ignoring her brother.

"Fine," he said, puzzled.  "Why?"

"Is something wrong with your eye?"  Ron let out a surprised snigger.  "Not _that_ one!  The other one!"

"Nothing's wrong with my eye!  Why?"

"You keep on winking!  Like there's something lodged in it or something. Are you ok?"  

"I noticed that too," Paul piped in.  "You have been doing an abnormal amount of winking."

Harry blushed.  "Oh, no…I'm…I'm…erm…nothing's wrong with my eye.  I'm fine," he said quickly.  

Ginny had the feeling he was lying.  "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Harry gritted out.  "I'm fine!  Can we get back to the game, now?"

The second half of the game got increasingly nastier, especially when Gryffindor gained a 50 point lead.  Apparently, Justin and the rest of the Hufflepuffs had used their time out to make a new strategy.  Either that or they'd taken a few leaves from the Slytherins' book, although they were being a bit nice about it all.  Every time one of the Gryffindors got hit with a Bludger, it was, "Sorry! Didn't mean to hit it that hard!" from the Hufflepuff Beaters, who grinned apologetically.  

To make things worse, Ginny's Firebolt was acting up a bit.  Nothing that she couldn't handle, or at least she hoped it wasn't, but the Firebolt kept on alternating speed, which wasn't right.  Maybe she could conceal the problem if she could just manage to—

"Looks like the new Firebolt might not be up to scratch, does it?  Weasley seems to have a problem with the speed control.  Maybe that's how she bought the thing in the first place, it must've been on sale from the Firebolt Outlet shop."

Or maybe not.

Ginny was trying to keep the Firebolt under control, but the damned thing seemed to have a mind of its own.  It kept on speeding up, faster and faster, making it nearly impossible for Ginny turn it.  Ginny became frightened, what if she couldn't stop?  Screams erupted from the stands as Ginny swooped down, heading straight for the crowd.  Ginny tried to steer the broom away from the Ravenclaw stands, but no such luck. 

SMACK!  Ginny was jarred from the impact, but the speed of the Firebolt was such that her fingers never loosened from their death grip on the handle.  

"And Weasley plows straight into the Ravenclaw stands, nearly killing several people, although it only looks like one person is actually hurt.  Looks like Carrie Grouse—Grousen—oh, what the hell, I can't pronounce it.  Anyway, looks like Carrie's got a broken arm."

"I'm so sorry Carrie!  Are you ok?" Ginny shouted, just managing to duck and avoid getting beheaded by the roof over the Ravenclaw stands.  

Then Ginny felt the Firebolt slowing down, and suddenly she could control it again.  Quickly, she headed back into the pitch.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Harry yelled, pulling up beside her.  "You're going to get killed!" He looked back over at the Ravenclaw stands, still in chaos from Ginny's flight.  "Or kill someone! "

"I'm fine! Go get the Snitch so we can end this game and have done with it!" she shouted back, catching the Quaffle as one of the Hufflepuff Chasers dropped it.  

The game continued on, Ginny's broom now behaving like it should.  During her out of control flight, Hufflepuff had managed to score three more times, making the score seventy to forty.  

"Seeker Finch-Fletchley has spotted the Snitch just beyond the Gryffindor goal posts.  Potter's on his way…both are heading towards it….they could crash….oh, but the Snitch dodges past Keeper Weasley….Finch-Fletchley is so close…" 

Ginny whirled around in mid-air, stunned the fact that Justin might actually get to the Snitch before Harry.  The Snitch was just above Ron's head, who saw what was going to happen, and…

"NO WAY!  FOUL!" cried Nigel, making everyone in the stands clutch their ears in pain.  "Weasley Snitchnipped!  Ron Weasley grabbed the Golden Snitch!"

Ginny could have kissed her brother.  He pulled a Snitchnip, so that while the penalty might be for Hufflepuff, it prevented them from out and out winning the game.   

"We all knew Weasley wanted to be just like Potter, but this is a bit much!" Nigel sneered.  "I've not seen anyone attempt a Snitchnip.  What a revolting move by the Gryffindors.  I've not seen such a disgusting move, such a foul and despicable play—"

"Since Slytherin's last match," John said as he flew by Ginny.  

Hufflepuff got the penalty shot, making them only 20 points down.  Ginny kicked her broom into high speed, which probably wasn't a good idea considering what had happened earlier, but it was only shaking a little, nothing to worry about.  

"Weasley's got the Quaffle—mind you that's Ginny Weasley and not her brother, although I sometimes have trouble telling them apart," Nigel said, earning more sniggers from the Slytherin stands.  "She's speeding up on that death stick she's flying….she's in scoring range….wait! She's not stopping!  She's going right through the scoring area…looks like her broom is out of control again…Oh NO!  She just slammed into the Hufflepuff goal post.  That's gotta hurt!  She's unconscious, so maybe she didn't feel much—" Sudden cheering from the Hufflepuff crowd, drew Nigel's attention—" What's this?  Looks like Finch-Fletchley caught the Snitch!  YES!  He did!  The game is over folks! Looks like it's better that Weasley got knocked out, if you ask me!  HUFFLEPUFF WINS!  GRYFFINDOR LOST THE GAME!" 

****

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to PW and Liz, creators of that little "poll" on GryffindorTower.net  and everyone else who voted in it.  *Shakes fist at them all  in a Scooby Doo villian-ish way*  "Your pathetic attempts to get me to update have worked! But you'll not be so lucky next time!" *evil laugh*  Note to the two people who voted "never":  AH HA!   And hey, does this mean Book Five is coming out soon? _J    _This also goes out to Carrie, while Amy and I didn't break her arm, she did get hurt,  and well…we're sorry we broke you Carrie! Hope you're ok, now!  And to Anne for betaing, and for messing up my word count…not that I pay attention to such frivolous things as word count._


	16. Potter vs Weasley

Chapter Sixteen: Potter vs. Weasley

"Miss Weasley?"  Ginny raised her bloodshot eyes to hesitantly meet those of Professor Dumbledore.  Only the fading light from the window signaled the ending of the day, although Ginny wasn't too sure which day it was.  She'd lost track of the time she'd spent in the hospital wing since the match, refusing all visitors, even her friends, even her teammates, even her brother, even…Harry. 

However, one did not refuse the headmaster of Hogwarts so easily.  "I have some people here who need to speak with you," he continued, his expression very solemn, giving Ginny a strange sense of foreboding.

"Please, Professor," said Ginny, lowering her gaze to stare unfocused on the pristine whiteness of the duvet that was spread over her, protecting her from the evening chill, "I don't feel like seeing anyone."  She still was in an awful state of depression after hearing about her humiliating defeat on the pitch.

"Yes, I understand," said Dumbledore, his half-moon spectacles reflecting the wall-sconces behind him.  "Madam Pomfrey, however, has declared you well enough to be out and about again, and the matter we need to discuss with you is urgent."

Ginny suddenly felt sick with those words, getting the feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't something she was going to like.  "Um…ok.  What is it?"

But instead of answering her directly, Dumbledore turned toward the open doorway and called out,  "She's ready to speak with you, gentlemen."  In came two men, the first of which Ginny recognized immediately as Mr. Simons, the President of the Firebolt Broom Company, followed by a man wearing a kilt matched with a Pride of Portree shirt.  They quickly gathered around the foot of her bed, and Ginny offered a tentative smile at Mr Simons, who returned it.  The other gentleman simply stood and waited for Dumbledore to make the introductions.

"Miss Weasley," said Dumbledore, nodding to where the men were standing.  "I'm sure you've met Mr Simons, the President of the Firebolt Broom Company."  Ginny nodded.  "And this gentleman is Mr Preston Dopplebottom-Trousers III, assistant Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."  Mr Dopplebottom-Trousers III held out his hand, and Ginny shook it, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach.

The men stared at her for a moment.  Ginny cleared her throat nervously. 

"I hope you're feeling better," said Mr Simons as he smiled at her.  "That was quite an injury you had."

"Erm…yes, thank you.  I am feeling better.  My head's harder than it looks."  Ginny noticed that Mr Simons appeared to be holding something in his other hand, but the open curtains that surrounded her bed hid the object from view.

Mr Dopplebottom-Trousers, who had been staring at Ginny intently, finally spoke up.  "Yes, well…We're all pleased to see you up and about, but we are here to discuss something very important with you."  

It could have been Ginny's imagination, but the room suddenly went very cold.  

**I have a bad feeling about this.**

Nothing's wrong.  It's just your imagination.  They're just here to talk about…about…well, something.

**Good answer.**

Mr Simons took a deep breath.  "Miss Weasley, we're here to ask you about this—" and Ginny couldn't contain the small gasp as the object Mr Simons was holding fell onto the quilted duvet with a soft plop.

Her Firebolt.

Waves of nausea washed over Ginny as she stared at the broom, its once polished handle now marred by finger prints.  Apparently it had survived the crash just fine, although there were a few bent twigs and scratches on it.

**Stay calm.  No need to panic just yet.**

Stay calm?  STAY CALM?? Do you know what this means?  They know it was a fake!  What am I going to do?  What will everyone think?   What will Harry say?  What will Ron say?  What will my family say?  They could ban me from school!  They could ban me from Quidditch!  They could…

**They're not going to do anything if you can just keep cool.**

Despite her turbulent thoughts, Ginny did manage to adopt a politely puzzled expression as she asked, "What about my broom?  I'm glad to see it's safe.  That was quite a crash."

Mr Simons nodded.  "Yes, Miss Weasley.  Firebolt brooms are subjected to the most extreme forces during production and the new diamond-hard polish now makes them all but indestructible.  However—" he jabbed a finger in the direction of the broom on the bed, "this is not a Firebolt."

"Really?  Are you sure?"  Ginny asked quickly, hoping she put just the right amount of surprise in her voice.

Mr Simons nodded.  "I know what my own brooms look like, Miss Weasley.  I hand inspect each one myself.   I'm surprised that you—after having flown the Firebolt Chaser—wouldn't have recognized this one as a fake, either."

**Told you so.**

Shut up.

Ginny couldn't contain the shameful blush that slowly crept up her neck and heated her face as she stared down at the Firebolt, seeing it for what it was—the knotted twigs at the end, the "official" registration number with its peeling and cracked paint.  She'd known it was a fake, knew it when Bagman first offered it to her, but desperation in getting a good broom out rode all common sense.

**The world would be a better place if everyone just listened to me.**

SHUT UP!

Mr Dopplebottom-Trousers cleared his throat nervously, snapping Ginny's gaze back to the men at the foot of her bed.  "Miss Weasley, there is a huge black-market for Firebolt Brooms, something that I find absolutely horrendous not only as a Quidditch player, but as broomstick connoisseur.  It's my job as assistant Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports to stop such illegal manufacturing and trading."

**What's he going to do when he finds out the Head of his department was the one who sold me the broom?**

How's he going to find out?

**When we tell him!**

ARE YOU CRAZY?  Do you honestly think they'll believe us?  A Weasley?  One of those poor "Muggle-loving" Weasleys over Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports and famous Quidditch player?  Have you lost your mind?

"Now, Miss Weasley, I want you to understand that buying an illegal item, even unknowingly, is a crime in and of itself.  And something of this magnitude would of course be punishable by expulsion from the Professional Quidditch League of Great Britain and Ireland.  Seeing as how you are not a professional player, this wouldn't apply to you directly, but I can assure you that this would mar any chance you might have of going professional, as well as terminate your current position as captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

Ginny's stomach plummeted as the color drained from her face.  She had never felt so helpless, so ashamed, so utterly defeated, like she was backed up against a wall and no way to get out.  

Mr Dobblebottom-Trousers continued, "However, we are willing to make a deal with you. We know someone had to have approached you, either in person or by owl post, informing you that they knew you were in need of a broom.  We assume that this took place sometime after your last Quidditch match."  Ginny nodded slowly.  "Did you see this person?"  Ginny nodded again.  "Can you identify him?" Ginny bit her lip.  "Miss Weasley, can you identify him?" he asked again, his voice rising with excitement.  

With a deep breath, Ginny nodded.

****

**That didn't go so bad, did it?  Told you it wouldn't.**

Shut up!

It wasn't until midnight before Mr Dopplebottom-Trousers and Mr Simons had left her.  Tired and drained, Ginny slowly made her way back to her dormitory room, wanting to sleep in her own bed with its scarlet curtains and warm duvet, instead of the sanitary white of the hospital wing.

She'd told them everything.  About how Bagman had approached her saying he had some connections that could get her a Firebolt if she paid two hundred Galleons.  About how she'd had to sell just about everything she had to get the money, how it had arrived by unmarked post in a brown package.  She'd gone into great detail, explaining the problems with the broom, from the uncontrollable speed bursts, to the fact that the "diamond-hard polish" shine faded in a few days' time.

Neither gentleman had seemed surprised to hear that Bagman had approached her.  "He's been under suspicion of illegal gambling for years, but with no proof to back him up—we couldn't do anything but wait until he made a mistake," Mr Dopplebottom-Trousers had said, his eyes alight with a gleam of triumph.  "But this time we've got him!"

"We'll need your help, Miss Weasley," Mr Simons had added.  "We'll need to see if Bagman approaches you again.  Of course you must keep absolutely quiet on this."

Ginny had nodded.  "What about me?" she'd asked.  "What's going to happen to me?"  Hot tears had been quickly fought back as Ginny thought about being banned from Quidditch and all the shame she'd caused everyone.  

"You were very foolish, Miss Weasley," Mr Dopplebottom-Trousers had scolded her.  "Very foolish indeed.  But if you help us catch Bagman, there will be no punishment.  But only if we can catch Bagman."

Lost in her thoughts, Ginny almost stepped on Mrs Norris' tail.  She hissed angrily, her hair standing on end.  Ginny glared back, daring the dust-colored cat to make the next move.  

"What's going on my sweet?" said a slimy voice from behind her.  It was Filch.  "You there!  What are you doing out this time of night!"

"Going back to bed.  I've just been released from hospital," Ginny said, turning her glare on Filch.  

"Better get on then, missy!  Or there will be trouble!"  And Filch left, Mrs Norris following him, throwing one last feline glare over her shoulder at Ginny, who stuck her tongue out at the pair. 

"I saw that!"

**If you'd had taken the Charms hallway instead of the east corridor like I had said, you wouldn't have run into Filch at all.  **

Will you SHUT UP!

**No, I won't!  What good is it being your conscious if you never listen to me!  It's like in first year, what did I say?  That book might be dangerous.  That diary isn't right.  It's not wise to trust something when you can't see where it keeps its brain.  But you knew it all, didn't you?  Oh, it's just a harmless little diary!  **

There you go, bringing that up again!  It's always the same, every time I screw up, you always bring up that bloody diary!

**It only nearly got you and**** Harry killed.  It only nearly brought back You-Know-Who to power.  It only caused the closing of the school, and forced Dumbledore to leave.  It only ended up causing several people to be petrified.  It only nearly caused your expulsion from school and shame upon your entire family?  But you didn't think about that did you?  What's everyone going to say when they find out about this?  What's Harry going to say?  **

I'm not going to tell him!  He'll…he'll…hate me.  

**You have to tell him!  Better he finds out from you than from someone else, and you know once Bagman is caught and this gets out, your name is going to be all over the papers.  I'm sure even Rita Skeeter will manage to crawl back out from whatever rock she's under to get a chance at this story!**

I can't tell Harry.

**Then you better be praying that Harry can manage to be in the same room with you once this gets out.  Especially after what you've already done to him.  Why don't you just knock him out again until all this boils over?  He should be familiar with the common room floor by now.**

****

"Oh, great! He's got us out again," cried the Bishop as he landed on the table with a soft thud.  Harry frowned down at the chess piece.  

"Wonderful, who are we going to lose to today, four-eyes?" The Knight, Harry's most annoying piece, helped the Bishop to his feet—er, base—and together they wobbled to their positions on the chess board.  Harry had been playing chess quite a bit lately, ever since Ginny and he had started…well, since he and Ginny had been…

**Since you both have been acting like total idiots.**

**I'm** not the one who's been acting like an idiot!  She's the one who's refusing to see anyone!

**Wonder why?  Couldn't have anything to do with you losing the Quidditch match, could it?**

What?  She's the one who lost the game, not me!  

**When did she become the Gryffindor Seeker?  Thought that was your job.**

I was worried about her!  I turn my eyes away for one split-second to see her tumble to the ground, and bam!  Hufflepuff has the Snitch!  It's all her fault! She's the one who was on that death stick of a broom!  I knew that broom was dangerous, but would she listen?

**And this was after you had accused her of cheating with Peter Byrne.**

Speaking of him, I still say he's the one who gave her that broom!  It all fits!  And he would have wanted Gryffindor to lose so Ravenclaw would be ahead.  

**You don't know that for sure…**

"Um, are you sure you want to play, Harry?" asked Neville tentatively as he took his seat across from Harry.  Harry jerked his gaze away from the roaring fire to see Neville, who looked rather apprehensive as he stared down at his chess figures, a very old set judging from the amount of nicks and scratches on them. 

A game of chess might take my mind off of this mess.

**Yeah, you can go from losing at Quidditch to losing at chess again.**

No way!  This is Neville we're playing, not Ron.  This'll be a piece of cake.

"I'm sure, Neville," said Harry, thinking that it was very probable that Neville was at the very least as bad of chess player as he was himself.  He glanced at Neville's odd-looking chess set.  His Queen was a rather imposing looking figure, rather than a crown she wore a hat with a vulture on top, and carried a bright red handbag.  The King's crown was lopsided, half of his nose appeared to be broken off, and his clothes looked as though they'd not been ironed in ages.

"Neville!" barked the Queen, making both Harry and Neville jump.  "Sit up straight!  You've got another think coming if you think I'm going to play with you slouching down.  Elbows off the table!"

"I'm sorry, Gran—I mean, Queen," Neville stammered nervously, flushing a bright crimson under the Queen's glare.  He gave Harry an apologetic look.  "This was my Gran's set once.  She gave it to me for Christmas my first year."

"As to which we've been lost, tumbled willy-nilly down a flight of stairs, accidentally set afire, and stuffed up under an extremely dusty bed for ages!" scolded the Queen, waving her red handbag around madly.  The King winced as she clipped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, m'dear," the King said, "but are we ready to play yet?"

"I'm not moving an inch until that scruffy young man tucks in his shirt and combs his hair!" Harry blinked as the Queen turned her militant gaze on him, and before he could stop himself, he was tucking in his shirt and trying his best to flatten down his hair.

"I've been trying to get him to do that for years," said Harry's own Queen.  

"You should learn to be more firm with him," replied Neville's Queen.  "Let's play some chess."

And so the game began.  Neville's Queen quickly took charge of the game, directing her pieces around herself, while Neville sat and watched with an expression between slight fear and triumph.  Harry, on the other hand, was doing all he could just to get his pieces to listen to him.  Apparently, Neville's Queen had taken to directing his own chess pieces as well.

"You there!" the Queen pointed to Harry's Bishop.  "Move to C 5 this instant!"  With a frightened glance at Harry, his Bishop immediately moved to the indicated position as though his robes had been set fire.

Just as Neville's Queen was getting ready to Checkmate Harry's King, Ginny scrambled through the portrait hole. 

"Oh!" she started, "I didn't think anyone would be up this late."  

"Goodness!" cried Neville frantically.  "It's nearly one in the morning!  And I've still got my Herbology reading."  Neville began to throw his pieces into his bag.

"How dare you end this game when I was just about to win!  You're going to be in big trouble, mister!" roared Neville's Queen as she was thrust in the bag.  She pounded Neville's hand with her handbag.  "And go do your homework!" she cried, just before Neville cinched up the strings and gathered his things.  "'Night Harry.  'Night Ginny."

And they were alone.

****

"So," Harry began, stuffing his own pieces in their bag.  He winced as his Knight bit his finger.  "How're you feeling?"

"Fine," Ginny squeaked nervously, glancing at the girls' staircase across the room.  "What are you doing up so late?"

"Playing chess.  Well, actually just watching Neville's Queen play chess with both of our sets."

"Oh, I could have warned you about Neville's chess set.  My pieces refused to speak to me for weeks after playing with him."

They shared a small awkward laugh, until Harry broke in with, "So, what was Mr Simons and an official from the Department of Magical Games and Sports doing here?  Colin Creevey said he saw them go into the Hospital wing."

Way to be subtle.

Ginny froze in her tracks.  Harry had noticed she was very slowly and discreetly making her way across the common room.  "Um, they were here to…uh…they were just wanting to ask.…"

"Probably wanted to see how you were doing and whether or not you needed a new broomstick," Harry said with an evil sneer,  knowing he was being very unfair but beyond the point of caring. "I bet that Ravenclaw set them up to it, right?  Since the one he gave you…oh, I mean the one you 'secretly obtained' seemed to be a bit…defective."  He drawled out that last word, just to make sure Ginny got his point.

**Um, is it wise to start this so soon?  I'd rather not end up on the floor this time, if at all possible.**

She's all the way across the room.  What could happen?

Ginny's face turned a bright scarlet.  She opened her mouth and Harry braced himself for whatever was about to happen, but all he got in return was, "I'm too tired to discuss this.  I'm off to bed."

**Don't you dare let her leave!**

"Not until you tell me what's going on, Ginny.  I deserve to know, damnit!"  Harry pounded the table, making his chess bag rattle.  

"What's going on out there?" came the muffled voice of the Bishop.

"Sounds like a row," replied the Queen.   Harry quickly stuffed the chess bag into his rucksack and cinched it tightly, before turning his attention to Ginny again.  She'd managed to get to the staircase, her hand just on the banister.

"I can't tell you," Ginny answered with a shake of her head.  "I'm sorry, Harry."  

"Of course," Harry mocked, cruelly.  "You never tell me anything!"

"I want to Harry, I really do.  But I can't."  Ginny really did look sorry, and Harry was reminded of his second year, when Ginny was trying to tell him and Ron about the Chamber of Secrets, just before Percy interrupted her.

"Why?  What's going on?  Does it have anything to do with that broomstick?"  Harry's voice steadily rose with each word.  "Sorry, I just can't seem to call it a Firebolt, since we both know that's not what it is."

Ginny just shook her head silently, her eyes bright with anger and tears. The fire roaring in the hearth suddenly popped, making both of them jump in the silence that had fallen between them.  "Who gave you the broom, Ginny?"  Harry pleaded.

Ginny shook her head.  "I can't tell you, Harry.  I can't."

"Whatever," he scoffed.  "I bet I could ask Peter.  I'm sure he knows all about it."

"Are we back to that again?  What is it with you and him?"  Ginny was shouting now, her voice so loud that the windows rattled in their panes.

I'd start backing up.  I have a bad feeling this is going to get ugly.

"Me?  You're the one…" Harry's voice trailed off as Ginny started from her place at the foot of the stairs and headed for him.  He slowly began to edge towards his own staircase, just to keep a good distance between them.

"I'm the one who what, Harry?  Go on, finish it!"  she challenged.  

"Well," he sneered.  "Isn't it obvious?  Come on Ginny, I know who gave you that Firebolt.  What I want to know is why him, Ginny.  What does he have that I don't?  A better Firebolt?  Or is it bigger than mine?"

"YOU BASTARD!  After everything that I've done for you,  after all that we've been through, you're going to accuse me….I can't believe that you, the great, good Harry Potter—"  Ginny paused and took a deep breath.  "If that's all you think of me, Harry, then I guess it's over between us."

**What?  Wait, this isn't supposed to happen!**

"I guess so.  You've changed so much, Ginny.  You've turned into a completely different person on me."  Harry dodged through some of the benches, careful not to back into anything.

"Well, so what if I have!  It's all your fault!"  she shouted, once again making the windows rattle.

"My fault?"

"You did this to me!  You're the one who made me Captain! If I've changed, it's all your fault!  It never occurred to me—"

"You certainly took up the reins rather quickly though, didn't you?  You're worse than Oliver Wood ever dreamt of being!"

"Much good that it did me! Only our second match and we managed to lose it didn't we?  To Hufflepuff for Merlin's sake!  And whose fault was that?  Some Seeker you are!"

"I was too busy watching you break your stupid neck to pay attention to the Snitch!  Some Quidditch player you are, if you can't even manage to control a runaway broomstick!  You'd have thought having a broomstick between your legs twice a day would have taught you something, but I guess not!"

**Uh oh.  Better start running for the stairs.  She looks ready to knock you back to the days of Godric Gryffindor.**

Ginny, however just stared dumbfounded at Harry.  Then, with a sudden sob, she turned and ran.  Harry watched her go, then turned and toppled over one of the benches he'd been trying to avoid.  He lay facedown staring at the perfectly polished wood, waiting for the stars to fade from his eyes and the air to rush back into his chest.

Looks like we didn't have to worry about her knocking us back to the days of Godric Gryffindor, did we?

**No, we just ended up on the common room floor again.**

****

A/N: And so after a couple of DD/MMs, a lot of arm-twisting, and some serious moping about, this chapter is done. *BIG PARADE*  For those of you still reading this, you should be happy to know that this story is almost complete.  In the previous sentence, the word "complete" of course means that I should have it done sometime before Book Seven comes out.  Mucho thanks to Anne and Ami for the beta, (I hope I got out all those extra spaces, Ami), Imogen for pointing out all those dratted Americanisms, and to my computer for not shutting down on me.  I'd like to dedicate this chapter to everyone at Towerstock: Carrie, Marian, Anne, Carissa, Amy, Rich, and Mr Chuddley I and Mr Chuddley II.  A very special hug for Liz.


	17. Pride Can Hurt You Too

Chapter Seventeen: Pride Can Hurt You Too   
  
"Hello?" Ginny blinked abruptly as a pair of snapping fingers was thrust in front of her face. "Anyone home?"   
  
Ginny blinked again to see her friend Patricia frowning at her. "Sorry, Patricia," she apologized. "What were you saying?"   
  
"I was just wondering why you won't go and talk to him, that's all. You've been staring over there for hours."   
  
Ginny colored, stealing one more glance over in Harry's direction, a small sigh escaping her lips. Three weeks had passed since their "huge row" as the rest of the Gryffindors were calling it. Three long weeks since they'd uttered one word to each other.   
  
"It's not that easy," she replied wearily.   
  
"Sure it is," Patricia said. "Just get up, go over there and say 'Hi there, Harry! Remember me? People used to think we were permanently attached at the lip."   
  
Ginny giggled in spite of herself. "That's not true!"   
  
"Was too!"   
  
"I know what you should do," said Amy as she plopped down next to Patricia. She pulled out a shiny object from her pocket and held it out to Ginny, who instantly recognized it as a quarter. "Go test this out." Ginny burst out into laughter, unknowingly drawing a pair of bright-green eyes to her attention.   
  
****   
  
"Ouch!" Harry grunted, turning back to Ron and rubbing his shin. "That was my leg!"   
  
Ron glared at him. "I was aiming a bit higher," he snapped. "And that was for you still acting like the biggest git in the world. Go talk to her," he finished abruptly.   
  
Harry drew a deep breath. "It's not just me, is it? Ginny's not exactly going out of her way to talk to me either."   
  
"She's a Weasley. She's stubborn. You're going to have to make the first move."   
  
"What? That's ridiculous," Harry said, sneaking another look over at the red head in question.   
  
"It's true. And you're going to need to do it soon," Ron advised. "You're putting a damper on us all. You're miserable. Ginny's miserable. You're both making me miserable, and Hermione is going out of her wits trying to devise ways to get you two to kiss and makeup, which is putting her off on.well." Ron colored a bit. "Hermione's not been paying much attention to me."   
  
"Poor baby," Harry murmured in mock sympathy.   
  
"Watch it," Ron warned. "The only reason your head is still attached to your neck is because the rest of the family-namely my brothers-haven't found out about this. And they'll either see that you do fix this mess or."   
  
"It's not that easy," Harry interjected. "It's too complicated now."   
  
"Complicated? All you have to do is get your arse out of that seat, go over there, and say 'Hi! I'm Harry. You might remember me from when you used to write me Valentine's poems and send me get well cards and stuff. We used to be together, but then I was a git, then you turned into a git, and well..let's stop being gits and go make-out or something.' It's that easy," Ron finished proudly, leaning back in his chair with a smug expression.   
  
Harry chuckled wryly. "She said Fred and George sent me the Valentine."   
  
"That not the bloody point! Look, just go talk to her!"   
  
"Talk to who?" asked a new voice. Harry turned just in time to see John and Paul take seats next to them.   
  
"Where've you been?" Ron asked. The two Beaters just gave wicked smiles.   
  
Harry guessed, "Don't tell me you two have been playing on the rooftops again, have you?" John and Paul, along with George and Richard, the Beaters from Hufflepuff had taken to playing a game of "Beater Quidditch" a game where the four Beaters fly around the Hogwarts rooftops and try to hit each other with a pair of Bludgers, while trying to avoid the many chimneys Hogwarts possessed. They'd been caught up there once already by Filch, who naturally gave the four detention. However, that only added to the game, Harry supposed.   
  
Paul looked a bit sheepish. John just shrugged as he asked, "So, what goes on?"   
  
Harry couldn't stop himself from glancing over at Ginny again. "Don't tell me you two are still not speaking to each other," Paul gasped. "You two have got to work it out. Quidditch practices are becoming unbearable with the two of you not speaking to each other and the rest of us trying not to pretend like you're not speaking to each other. It's driving me crazy!"   
  
Harry sighed wearily. He did not want to discuss his love live with the two second years. "It's complicated."   
  
"Look, it's up to you," said John. "You have to make the first move. Swallow your pride and go apologize to her."   
  
"She loves you," Paul added sagely. "And you know that can't be bad."  
  
Harry had a strange uncontrollable urge to tap his feet and bob his head, as though listening to some sort of catchy tune with a great beat. He squelched the urge as best as he could and decided he'd had enough advice from the male residents of Gryffindor. So, with a quick goodnight to everyone at the table, Harry packed his bag and headed straight to bed.   
  
****   
  
"What is that smell?" Ginny scrunched up her nose as a nauseous odor suddenly pervaded the air.   
  
Amy nodded towards a first year who had just climbed in through the portrait hole and was passing by their seats. The girl was proudly carrying a piece of pie on a plate as though it were a holy relic. "Pumpkin pie," she replied, fanning the air in front of her face to chase away the worst of the smell. "Mary Sue Blackstone," she gestured towards the first year girl, who had found a seat and was now gorging herself on the slice of pie. "She absolutely adores pumpkin pie. Eats it everyday."  
  
Ginny, who'd never been fond of that particular dessert herself, shrugged and watched as the girl shoved a heaping forkful of the orange and gold stuff into her mouth, a blissful _expression on her face as though it were her first meal after years of starvation. "She'd better enjoy it while it lasts, I suppose. Pumpkin season ends the first day of summer."   
  
"Oh look!" cried Patricia excitedly, holding up the latest copy of Witch Weekly. The cover read "The Rear of the Year" and under the headline it had a picture of.was that Oliver Wood? Ginny leaned in closer to have a better look. Yes, it was Oliver Wood, former Gryffindor Quidditch captain, looking quite startled as though someone had sneaked up from behind and managed to get a picture of his behind. He kept on trying to cover his head with the turtleneck sweater he was wearing while trying to keep his rear covered by the other end, to no avail.  
  
"Amazing," cooed Amy breathlessly, gazing at the cover as though Christmas had come early and her every wish had come true.   
  
A tapping on the window just behind them startled the three out of their rear-end induced stupor. Something that looked like a small gray dishcloth was tapping frantically on the window, a small piece of parchment tucked in its beak.   
  
"Look!" cried Amy, opening the window and letting the poor owl in. It was a strange owl, very small, and very old and tired looking, although not as old as Errol. It had bald spots on its skin, as though feathers had been missing, or pulled out, and what feathers were left were downright pathetic looking. "Poor owl," she said, carefully taking it in and laying it down on the table. The owl shook a bit, and then managed to stand up on two wobbly feet. "Hey, there's a note for you Ginny."   
  
Surprised, Ginny gently took the note from the owl, and gently stroked its head. "Poor baby. I have some owl treats for you." The owl gratefully took the offered treats and took off for the Owlery. Ginny opened the note.   
  
G-   
  
Need to meet with you regarding something you might like. An offer you can't refuse. Meet me tonight out by the pitch.   
  
The world is quiet here.   
  
L.   
  
"Who's it from?" "Oh, it's nothing," Ginny lied, hoping that neither of her friends would press her for details. She recognized Ludo Bagman's untidy scrawl immediately and needed to get to the Owlery double quick to send a letter off to the Ministry. "I've got to send a reply, I'll be back in a bit."   
  
And Ginny left leaving two very puzzled friends in her wake.   
  
****   
  
Harry meanwhile, was hopping around his room, cursing mildly and holding his foot, which he had just painfully hit on the side of his bed in frustration.   
  
Yeah, kicking the bed really solved all our problems didn't it?   
  
Ow, Damnit!   
  
Seriously, why can't we just kiss the pants off her? I MISS GINNY!   
  
So do I, but I'm not going to be the first one to apologize.   
  
You can be stubborn enough for England. You were the one to start that fight, you know. You should be the one to end it.   
  
What logic. And if I recall correctly, she's the one who said it was over! She obviously just doesn't want to be with me anymore.   
  
Do you really believe that?   
  
What else can I believe? She's not made the slightest effort to talk to me.   
  
BECAUSE SHE'S JUST AS STUBBORN AS YOU ARE! And you can either both continue on being stubborn miserable gits until the end of time, or one of you can do something to end this mess once and for all!   
  
Well, it's not going to be me.   
  
Well fine then! I hope you stay just as miserable as you are now and end up old, bald, and living in a house that smells like old cabbage. You'll have a bunch of cats, and everyone on the street will refer to you as "that creepy old man." Meanwhile, Ginny will have found someone better, marry him, and have a bunch of red-headed, freckle faced kids trailing along behind in their unholy wake. Do you want that?   
  
No.   
  
Then you know what to do.   
  
Harry groaned as though the weight of the world had just crashed down on him. Maybe a nice walk up to the Owlery and back would help clear his mind.   
  
I highly doubt it.   
  
****   
  
"You're up late, Harry," observed Nearly Headless Nick, nearly making Harry jump through his skin. Harry looked up to see the Gryffindor ghost floating just above the entrance to the Owlery tower.   
  
"Hi Nick," Harry murmured, keeping a close eye out for Filch. "I was just trying to clear my head."   
  
"Ah! I understand," nodded Nick, straightening his ruff so that it covered his partially-severed neck. "Perhaps you're having some troubles of the female variety?"   
  
Do we have the whole of the bloody school giving us advice on women?   
  
It appears so.   
  
"Yeah, well..." Harry trailed off, not wanting to discuss his love-life with the ghost.   
  
"HALT! Who dares to disturb my slumber on a wretched night such as this?" Harry turned to see Sir Cadogan propped up against the base of a large oak, his rusty helmet and sword next to him. In a nearby painting, his fat gray pony was grazing contentedly. "Ah ha!" the knight said, his eyes squinting through the darkness and landing on Harry. "It is the scurvy cur who sends fair maidens into tears! Stand and fight you dog!" The little knight grabbed the rusty sword and thrust it through the air.   
  
Harry just shook his head and turned to go up the Owlery stairs. "I'll see you later, Nick," he called out with a slight wave of his hand.   
  
The Owlery was an oddly soothing place, with its musty smell of hay and bird dung. It had a great view of the Hogwarts grounds, and on a clear night one could almost make out the village of Hogsmeade, with little lights flickering in the shop windows and smoke billowing from the chimneys. Owls swooped in and out through the great window, perching on the large wooden beams and tucking their beaks into their wings.   
  
Hedwig's bright plumage was instantly spotted amidst the dapper browns and grays of the other owls. She flew to Harry and landed on his shoulder, giving his ear a soft nibble.   
  
"Hello Hedwig," he said, stroking her just behind her left wing. She cooed and rubbed her head against Harry's in a sign of affection.   
  
The Quidditch pitch was very dark this time of night, but there was just enough light from the half-moon to make out two figures standing just to the right of the Hufflepuff bleachers. One was a slender figure, and if Harry didn't know better, he would have sworn it was Ginny. The other figure was stocky and short and constantly seemed to shift from one foot to the other, as though he were balancing on a tightrope.   
  
****   
  
Ginny nervously glanced around the area, making sure they were totally alone. After knowing what she did about Ludo Bagman, her impression of him changed greatly from the harmless, if a bit goofy ex-Beater, to something a bit more menacing. She'd just had enough time to dash off a letter to the Ministry before heading down to the pitch to meet with Bagman.   
  
"I'm so shocked to hear that the Firebolt was a fake," Bagman was saying. "I had it on good authority that the broom was the genuine article."   
  
"It nearly got me killed!"   
  
"I feel just terrible about this, Ginny. I really, really do. But I think I can make it up to you." Bagman grinned eagerly and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ginny felt her skin crawl at the touch. "You see, since Firebolt's practically cornered the market on racing brooms, some of the other companies want a bit of the action. Cleansweep is absolutely dying to get a good broom to compete with the Firebolt."   
  
"Cleansweep?" Ginny repeated. "Their last racing broom had to be recalled because it had a faulty acceleration charm on it. The thing would explode if you so much as looked at it wrong."   
  
Bagman waved that off. "They've got that all taken care of. What say I get you their newest Cleansweep 42, at a fraction of the cost?"   
  
"Cost! I gave you my life savings last time and look what it got me!"   
  
"Shh!" Bagman glanced around nervously as though expecting someone to jump out at them at any moment. "Not so loud. And brooms cost money, Ginny."   
  
"Yeah, tell me about it."   
  
"Look, I can give you three weeks to get the money. One hundred galleons, that's all I need," said Bagman. "For the broom," he added.   
  
Ginny was unsure of what to do. She didn't know if the Ministry wanted her to accept this offer in order to keep Bagman talking. She'd rather tell him exactly where he could shove the broom instead, but concluded that was probably not the best way to deal with a suspected broom smuggler.   
  
"I'll...I'll think on it," she said at last, hoping to buy some time. "Give me a week."   
  
Bagman looked like he wanted to balk. "Well, ok. But no more than a week, Ginny. I'll try to keep the seller from getting someone else. I'll contact you in a week."   
  
Ginny nodded and watched as Bagman silently crept through the field, presumably heading back to Hogsmeade.   
  
A rustling sound made Ginny snap around quickly, her heart racing.   
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"   
  
It was Harry.   
  
**** A/N: Is anyone still reading this? *ducks thrown objects for ending with yet another cliffhanger* Don't worry! I've got Chapter 18 started, and I promise to have it out in a decent amount of time-meaning within a month. I'm going to do my best to get this story finished before Book Five, not because there's anything in here that I feel will go against canon, *laughs at the idea of this story being in canon* but because I've got a few people here and there that will do terrible things to me if I don't get it finished. *winks at those people* Happy Birthday to Ami who gets first peek at this chapter.. ::Hugs:: to Carissa who kept on doing third-party PMs to make sure I was writing it.   
  
Oh, and the whole "Rear of the Year" thing is actually based on a British publication who gives the award to a celebrity every year. I know this only because I happened to have bought some shares in that celebrity on Celebdaq and saw the mention. 


	18. Venus and Mars

**Chapter Eighteen: Venus and Mars**

"Harry!" Ginny gasped, absolutely horrified that he'd found her out here. "What are you doing here?"

"I believe I asked you first," he said coldly, marching towards her with very determined steps. Ginny was so shocked that before she knew it, he'd reached out, grabbed her arm, and began dragging her back to the castle.

"Let go!"

"Nope, not this time. I want to know what the hell is going on here, and why in the name of all that is holy are you out _here_, in the middle of the _night_, meeting Ludo Bagman of all people."

"You're so good at jumping to conclusions, why don't you tell me?" she snapped, trying to jerk out of his grasp.

"Come off it, Ginny!" Harry snarled furiously. "Bagman is a crook!"

"He's helping me!"

Harry stopped suddenly, causing Ginny to slam into him, nearly knocking both of them over. "What a load of dung! He's been up to all sorts of shady stuff for years! The goblins have been after him for years!"

"How'd you know that?" she asked, frowning.

"He made a bet on me during the Tri-Wizard tournament. Made one during the World Cup that year too. Owed Fred and George quite a bit of money, and never paid up."

"What? Fred and George! They never told me that!" Ginny was shocked.

"Yeah, well...not very many people know about that. But don't get off the subject. What was Bagman offering you?" Harry's eyes narrowed, then widened, as though he'd just solved a complex Arithmancy equation.

Ginny swallowed nervously.

"He's the one, isn't he?" Harry guessed. "He's the one who sold you the broomstick, isn't he?"

Ginny stared at him dumbfounded. Then, not quite sure why, she burst into tears and began to tell Harry everything.

Harry started, mouth hanging open in surprise as Ginny began to speak through great sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks. She paced a circle around Harry, her voice a high-pitched whine that only could be understood by dogs. He turned around and around, trying to keep up with her, but gave up when he became very dizzy.

**Are you getting any of this?**

_Nope. Just glad she's talking to us again. I think._

It took Harry a moment to realize that Ginny had finished her explanation, and he gaped at her as she suddenly launched herself at him, knocking him to the ground with a great whoosh of air, feeling as though he'd been hit by a red-headed anvil.

Harry grinned, suddenly more light-hearted than he'd felt in weeks.

**Think we should ask her to repeat that?**

_Nah, let's just kiss her._

**Good idea.**

Much later, once they'd properly made up and were dusting the leaves off their clothes, Ginny calmly explained what had gone on with Bagman and the deal she'd struck up with the Assistant Head of Magical Games and Sports and the President of the Firebolt Company.

"Are you going to tell Mr. Dopplebottom-Trousers and Mr. Simons about it now, or wait until Bagman contacts you next week?" Harry asked as they were walking back up to the castle.

"Don't know," Ginny replied frowning. "I'm thinking I should send them an owl now and ask them what they want me to do. I really don't want to get into any more trouble over this than I already am. And I definitely don't want to give that creep any more money," she added, frowning.

"They can't kick you off the team, they don't have the authority," said Harry.

"No, but they certainly can influence McGonagall and Dumbledore who can. _And_ make sure I don't play Quidditch again. _Ever._"

"We won't let that happen. Let's head to the Owlery now and get Hedwig to send a message and tell them what's happened so far."

They had not traveled far when a sudden noise startled the pair as a figure wearing large, brightly colored glasses came out from one of the greenhouses. A smell of cooking sherry quickly filled the air, as Professor Trelawney peered at them dazedly.

"Harry Potter," she stammered, blinking rapidly. "And Ginevra Weasley."

"Professor," they replied, each hoping not to be questioned about why they were outside late at night.

Professor Trelawney glanced down at their entwined hands, and slowly looked up towards the night sky.

"Venus and Mars are alright tonight," she murmured cryptically, and disappeared back into the greenhouse.

Harry and Ginny burst out laughing.

It took a while for Harry and Ginny to ascend the marble staircase to Gryffindor tower. There were exactly 87 steps, and they paused on nearly every third step to kiss. The fat lady, who was devouring a box of chocolates, looked up as they approached.

"It's about bloody time you two came to your senses!" she said, licking her fingers and wiping them on her dress. "Password, if you please."

"Commandeer," Harry replied.

"Commandeer, nautical term," repeated the fat lady. "Aye, avast!" And the portrait swung forward to let them in.

Although the common room was still crowded at this time of night, a hushed silence fell as the portrait hole opened and both Harry and Ginny appeared, still holding hands.

Everyone's eyes were on them, and Harry felt his face flame, although he still couldn't manage to wipe the silly grin he knew he was wearing. Ron suddenly let out a loud whoop, and burst out laughing. Soon the entire room was joining in, and Harry heard Ginny mutter, "Barking mad, the lot of them." But from the way her eyes were shining, he could tell she was happy.

Harry couldn't help but join in, he felt like dancing. A group of fifth year girls, sitting together in front of the hearthrug suddenly started yelling, "The cockroaches were right! The cockroaches were right," and promptly fell into insane laughter. A large pile of empty butterbeer bottles surrounded them. One of the girls was wearing a pirate shirt and an eye patch. "Abandon ship!" the pirate-girl cried, pointing a finger at Mary Sue Blackstone, who was frowning intently at them, clutching what looked like a slice of pumpkin pie in her hands.

Ginny pulled Harry over to a secluded corner, shaking her head. "You'd think they'd never seen a couple fight before, which is totally ridiculous, as Ron and Hermione fight at least once a day."

"Yeah, but at least they make-up pretty quick," Harry said, plopping down on one of the cushions and cuddling Ginny close to him. "We need to work on that."

"I suppose so," Ginny replied. "Let's try not to make this a habit, OK?"

"Deal," Harry said, bending down to kiss her.

At that moment, Mary Sue Blackstone began choking on the slice of pumpkin pie she was eating. "Ewwww!" she spat out as bits of pumpkin landed on the table. "This tastes like crow!"

_A/N: If you're feeling any sort of surprise or shock from seeing this being updated after such a lengthy absence, then you're nowhere near as surprised as I am. Assuming anyone is still reading this, of course. I'm not going to make any more promises on when the next chapter will be posted, but I do thank everyone for reminding me that I really do need to finish this story._

_Chapter title is from a Paul McCartney and Wings album. _

_Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!_


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